Finding Your Light
by Inuki-chan09
Summary: What difference could changing one single decision make? All the difference. A slow and steady focus on Sasu/Saku and their story, as well as Nar/Hin. Canon Divergence at Chapter 699.
1. The Offer

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or the storylines from Naruto.

Silence was a double edged sword. Silence let your mind relax. It allowed for the soul to search and the body to just be. It also revealed a deep seated sense of loneliness. When all you can hear is the beating of your own heart, it could be overwhelming. Sasuke was used to silence, loneliness, and the sound of his long heart beat. Every moment following the murder of his family and clan, he had been well aware of his "Lone Uchiha" status. The last. The final. The END. He had spent his youth with these thoughts in mind. Originally, he hadn't believed he would survive to have a family. He'd always assumed he would go down in flames as he rid the world of his brother. After accomplishing his goal, his whole world had shattered as the truth of Itachi's life and mission had come to light. That had been a very dark day. The absolute love his brother had held for him, for the village, for the promise of the future...hell, he'd known his brother and yet not known a damn thing about him. He couldn't possibly live up to Itachi's memory, and wasn't sure he even wanted to try. His brother had been a force of purity that maybe only the Dobe could contend with. After his epiphany of his brother, he had decided to lead the village, become Hokage. Of course, the Dobe had not accepted and they had engaged in an epic battle. Sasuke was almost relieved to lose. He hadn't truly wanted the position. His only motivation had been to create a world where no one would have to live through what he and Itachi had endured. Sasuke was satisfied that Naruto could accomplish this, even if he would never admit it aloud. Instead, Sasuke had volunteered to spend his life searching the dimensions to ensure Kaguya was gone forever and would never threaten their lives again.

Which brings us to now. What the hell was Sasuke supposed to do now? He had decided to dedicate himself to the betterment of the entire shinobi world, to wander that world and eradicate its enemies. He had resigned himself to his "Lone Uchiha" status once again, his clan would die with him. He would be the last Uchiha. Uchihas had almost destroyed the village, and a couple of Uchiha had nearly destroyed the world as we know it. Could that be an indication that the Uchiha should bow out? For the safety of all? Maybe. Yet, deep down where Sasuke could admit things he would never say out loud...Sasuke was lonely. He didn't really want to be the last Uchiha. He didn't really want to wander the dimensions for his entire life. He wanted to settle down. A family, a place to finally belong again. To build a future with someone who cared for him, understood him, and wanted to work towards that future together. Sasuke just didn't believe he deserved it. Didn't believe that the village deserved a revival of the Uchiha clan. He'd decided to wander the universe alone and atone for the sins of the Uchiha...that is until SHE said those words…

"What...If I told you...that...I'd like...to come...too?..."

Well fuck.


	2. Response

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Naruto, and below are quoted lines from the manga, chapter 699.

Chapter 1:

Sakura watched while Kakashi spoke with Sasuke about being pardoned and why. The wind lightly ruffled his obsidian locks, brushing gently across his forehead and highlighting his mismatched eyes. His stoicism was the same as always while he accepted the responsibility for his actions and affirmed that he was about to embark alone to atone for his sins. She couldn't just let him leave like this.

"Tsunade-sama's just about to complete your prosthetic hand from Hashirama-sama's cells…"

Surely he could at least wait until he had two hands again and they could all know he would be able to hold his own without a doubt. She knew he was ridiculously strong and could take care of himself, but everyone had to sleep. Everyone had moments where they weren't entirely focused on the outside world, where they were vulnerable to stealth and trickery. Sakura would breathe easier if he could perform hand signs and protect himself.

"I...I need to see it for myself. How the world works. All those things I've overlooked, I have a feeling I'd be able to see them better now...and if I miss this chance...I don't think another will come. Plus, there's a few things that have been bothering me."

NO. He couldn't do this to her again. He had to know how she felt, how heartbreaking it would be to watch him turn his back on her and walk away again. Walk away from everything they could have and share together. There was no way she could just let him walk away without asking him once again, offering herself up one last time. If he refused this time, she would try to move on, try to give up. Try being the operative word. She'd never get over the rejection. It had been one thing when he had rejected her offer of companionship before. They had been young, her weak to his strong, and they had been naive. Now, he had fought with her, seen her strength. She had had his back, and he hers. She had saved him and Naruto from their own stupidity and arrogance. He had apologized to her, for everything. That had to mean something. It just had to. It was now or never, shannaro!

"What...If I told you...that...I'd like...to come...too?..."

Oh goodness. The look on his face didn't exactly change, but Sakura was able to notice the signs of tension in his face. The slight widening of his eyes, the miniscule dropping of his jaw, and the sudden rigor mortis that seemed to over take his entire body. She'd messed up. There was no way he was going to agree to take her with him. He was going to reject her offer, again, and she was really going to have to give up on the love of her life. She hadn't really thought out her offer, just knew that if she let him leave without offering something, she would regret it for the rest of her existence. It had been impulsive and desperate, and she braced herself for the impact of his rejection even as she peeked up at him and met his steady gaze. His eyes closed...here it comes.

"It's my road to redemption. You have nothing to do with my sins."

Her shoulders slumped and she quickly cast her sight to the ground to prevent him from seeing her pain. Sakura was painfully aware of the silent figure of Kakashi standing awkwardly next to her. She had no idea where the words came from as she responded.

"Nothing to do...you say…"

The feeling of fingers tapping her forehead startled her as her head shot up to lock gazes with Sasuke. Ebony and violet met sparkling green.

"I guess another member along the journey wouldn't be so bad, as long as the Dobe doesn't decide he needs to come as well."

Sakura couldn't believe her ears. That hadn't been a rejection, right? He had actually agreed to take her with him...she was going to be traveling alone...with Sasuke. ALONE.

Well, fuck.


	3. This is happening part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Naruto, and some of the lines below are from the manga, ch. 699.

Sasuke had needed a minute to collect himself after Sakura's offer to come with him. He had been planning a solo trip, and hadn't taken even a second to think about bringing anyone with him. Of course Naruto would love to come with him, but Sasuke knew he had his own responsibilities in the village. Especially with his aspirations to become Hokage. Plus, a certain Hyuuga princess would be heartbroken if he left for any extended amount of time. Also, Sasuke needed some silence and peace. Neither of those concepts had touched the Dobe. EVER. Sasuke also hadn't thought Sakura would offer again, not after his previous rejection and then his quite recent use of a genjutsu with himself stabbing her chest with his chidori. He'd been pretty sure she would have decided he wasn't worth the effort or emotion. He should have known better. For whatever reason, Sakura cared about him. Might even love him, despite all his flaws. She had certainly proclaimed her love and devotion throughout their youth, but Sasuke had learned to set aside those claims from girls. None of them had known him, not intimately. All they saw was the dark, handsome Uchiha, child prodigy and last surviving member of his clan. None knew the truth about his brother, about his clan. None of them knew the pain and anguish he had lived with after killing his brother and learning the truth. None understood his shame that this had all come about by the work of two Uchiha's thought to be long dead. They didn't know of his love for tomatoes and omusubi with okaka. Nor his dislike of sweet things and natto. Those girls had only ever cared about how good he looked, his money and prestige, and how jealous the other girls would be if he dangled on their arm.

As a child, he had seen Sakura in the same light. She was just another weak girl who desired all his outward attributes and cared nothing for the essence of who Sasuke was. Or, that had been his opinion of her until she had proven her strength and place on Team 7. She had shown all of them what she was made of, what she was capable of. She had proven that she deserved to stand tall as a proud Konoha kunoichi, as the successor of one of the three legendary Sannin. He was now proud to call her teammate, and ashamed of how he had underestimated her over the years. He had harbored feelings of admiration for her, and those feelings had been evolving recently. He had always cared about her on some level. Maybe a part of him had been aware of her since the beginning. Maybe she had seen something in himself that he had been unable or unwilling to see. Maybe there was more to them than either had ever dared to dream of. Maybe he COULD use a companion on this journey after all.

"It's my road to redemption. You have nothing to do with my sins."

She quickly looked down and hunched her shoulders. It looked as though she were about to cry. Sasuke paused as he thought about how to phrase his thoughts and feelings. Kakashi's steady gaze was already starting to shift. His eyes crinkled and a grin slowly spread under his mask. Damn the man. He had always been able to read them all better than anyone else. He had better keep his snarky mouth shut.

"Nothing to do...you say…"

Her dejection was clear in her voice. It tugged at his heart to hear her already sure of his refusal of her offer. He knew his previous behavior wouldn't give her any indication of how he really felt. His emotional constipation over the years was legendary, and even he knew he had a lethal resting bitch face. Well, now was the time to make a change if he was going to do it. His hand reached up and he tapped her forehead, the same way Itachi had always done to him. Her head whipped up and her startled green eyes met his. She looked adorably stunned. Her eyes were large and her jaw had dropped open. The flush on her cheeks stood out amongst the pink locks framing her face. He soaked up her beautiful presence.

"I guess another member along the journey wouldn't be so bad, as long as the Dobe doesn't decide he needs to come as well."

Sasuke knew what he was committing to. They were both grown adults with chemistry between them, and they would be traversing alone. He watched her facial expressions change as he was sure the magnitude of his acceptance hit her full force. Her eyes had been wide before, but now it seemed as though they would fall from her face. The flush that had stained her cheeks crept in all directions up to her forehead and down her neck and chest. Her plump lips formed an "Oh" of surprise and her hands rushed up to slap her cheeks. Sasuke wasn't about to ruin this chance to see if they could get to know each other better and pursue whatever "this" was between them. He hadn't had a thought about it until moments before, but now that the offer had been extended and accepted...well, all bets were off.

Her fish out of water routine ended on a deep breath and a double take as she made sure he was serious.

"Did you just say I could travel with you?"

"Yes. I would not begrudge your presence on this journey. Although, you have to be certain. We will not be traveling back to Konoha regularly. There may be long stretches where you will not see your family and friends here. Your work in the hospital will be impossible to keep up with. We may have people attack us on the road as we travel. These are all things you should consider before we leave. I promise I will ensure your safety."

Sakura was astounded. Sasuke had not only accepted her offer to travel with him, but he had a small smile on his face as though he enjoyed the idea of them together. His points were all valid. She would need to settle her affairs with the hospital, pack and say goodbye to her friends and family, and make sure that she didn't leave any loose ends before they left. Holy shit, this was actually happening.

"Of course I've considered all the ramifications of leaving with you. I wouldn't have offered if I hadn't thought it through. You need someone to teach you how to love life. How much time before we leave?"

Sasuke inwardly laughed. It was blatantly obvious she hadn't thought through any of those things, and that she had offered on a spur of the moment. He would let her think she had gotten away with the deception. He needed to learn how to love life? That sounded sappy as hell, but also like a nice change of pace. He had spent years of his life dedicated only to vengeance, against Itachi and then for Itachi. Now he needed something else to be devoted to. A future of his design seemed like a good place to start.

"2 Days. That should be enough time to get everything settled, packed, and ready to go."

Sakura snorted. Two days my ass. She would need a month to really settle everything, but 2 days was the time she was given. She'd make it happen, one way or another.


	4. This is happening part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters within. Just a fan with an excess of imagination and a penchant for writing thoughts down.

The cover photo is by an Artist under the username: TMI143 on DeviantArt. The URL for the image is: tmi143. deviantart art/Sasuke-and-Sakura-531678146 (-minus the two spaces)

Check out all this person's artwork, they are EXTREMELY talented!

Chapter 3:

The forgotten Kakashi stepped forward to remind them of his presence. He didn't need to hear anything that had been said to know what was happening. Sakura had obviously offered to leave with Sasuke, and weirdly, Sasuke had accepted. Kakashi knew how heartbroken Sakura had been when she had been refused previously. There was no doubt in his mind that if Sasuke was accepting her new offer, then she was going to be leaving with him. As the Hokage, he knew it would be in Konoha's best interest if he could keep them here to use their special talents for the good of the village. Yet, as their former Sensei, and someone who cared about their happiness, he could never hold them here. They both needed this time. Sasuke to atone for his "sins", and Sakura to reaffirm that Sasuke was alive and well. Add into the mix the blatant attraction between the two, and this journey was a much needed getaway.

"Don't worry that I'll try to keep you."

Sakura sent an astonished look Kakashi's way.

"What did you say Kakashi-sama?"

The "-sama" still threw Kakashi off. He actually kind of hated hearing it. Being Hokage was never one of his dreams, and he still wondered how he had let Tsunade pass this onto him. The only reasons he had agreed were because of his guilt over the past, Obito telling him he had to be the Rokudaime Hokage, and because Naruto wasn't ready to assume the position yet. Naruto thought he was, but there was a lot to learn before his time would come. Honestly, he'd take 'Kakashi-sensei' any day over the honorifics that came with the position of Hokage. Like Tsunade had said repeatedly, "Being Hokage is a shit." Naruto was a bit of a fool to want it that badly.

Sakura was giving him a look of bewilderment and curiosity. He knew his students better than they knew themselves sometimes. He knew that Sasuke would want to leave. He'd spent too much time on his own wandering the elemental nations to suddenly be able to settle down in the village again. He also knew that Sakura wouldn't be able to just let Sasuke walk away again. Sasuke's acceptance of her offer did surprise him, but only a little. Kakashi might have had an eye covered up for most of his life, but that didn't mean he didn't see clearly. Those two were destined for something big...together.

"I said, Don't worry that I'll try to keep you. I already know you will leave with Sasuke. I understand you both need to do this. I won't hold you back. Naruto will probably try to come with you, but don't worry about that either. I'll keep him so busy he won't even remember you guys are gone."

Sasuke breathed an inner sigh of relief. Naruto was the one obstacle he wasn't sure he could overcome with all of this. Naruto was his best friend, although he would never admit such aloud. If Sasuke and Sakura were to head out on a "mission" without him...he would do everything he could to make sure it wasn't without him. If Kakashi ran blocker for them, Naruto wouldn't be free to come with them for years. Hell, he'd probably be ready to assume the mantle of Hokage before he found the time and effort. A small smirk made its way to his face, drawing the left side of his lips up slightly.

"The dobe needs to get ready to become Hokage already. He doesn't have the free time to join us. He'd just get us into all kind of trouble."

Kakashi took note of the smirk on Sasuke's face, and the glazed look in Sakura's eyes and decided his time to leave had come.

"I bid you both adieu. Just make sure you come visit my office before you leave, and make sure you give a proper goodbye to Naruto. I will keep him busy, but it'll be easier if he's not raging about being left behind with no notice."

With that, Kakashi was suddenly gone and the two were left alone. Sasuke turned to face Sakura. She seemed to be a million miles away from him right then. She was probably thinking about all the things she needed to do to get ready to leave with him in only 2 days. He knew it was an extremely short amount of time, but he felt like the walls of the village were already caging him in. Unwilling to let him go. He couldn't stay here and feel comfortable. Even the Uchiha compound, on the outskirts of the village, was no longer a refuge for him. The whole place was filled with the haunting sense of death and sorrow, and Sasuke couldn't sleep there. No peace was to be found within the walls. His peace would have to be found within himself, and he couldn't find it while he was here. The memories ate at him, threatening to consume his soul.

"Sakura."

Sakura was startled by the sound of her name on his lips. His voice sent a shiver of awareness down her spine. In less than 15 minutes, her entire world had shifted on its axis and was dangerously close to tilting out of control. The man she had been in love with almost her entire life had acknowledged the attraction between them; the chemistry of tension that was there. He had also accepted her invitation to join him, alone, on his journey of redemption. A huge part of her was elated. He wasn't pushing her away or blocking her out. She could spend the one-on-one time with him that she had been dreaming of for years. It made her heart pound thinking about all the intimate moments they could share in the future.

Another part of her was scared. Terrified even. She had harbored all kinds of plans for the future. She would head the hospital in Konoha and work towards the health and safety of every member of her beloved village. She had plans for improving the facilities and programs used with shinobi and especially children. She also planned to expand on Lady Tsunade's ideas about medics on every shinobi team. To do that, she needed to help write and plan the training those medic shinobi would need to prepare them for their expanded role on their team.

Then there was Naruto. She was pretty sure he would lose his mind when his best friends left on a journey without him. Sakura knew he would be hurt that he was not invited to join them. He just couldn't join them. His place was here and always would be here. He needed to study and work hard to assume his role as the Nanadaime Hokage. There were mountains of books and policies he needed to read and memorize. Sakura also knew that Naruto was pursuing a romantic relationship with Hinata Hyuuga. Naruto thought he had kept it a secret, but Sakura had seen the ring box at his apartment. He had plans to ask Hinata to marry him. That wouldn't happen if he was traveling the world with Sasuke and Sakura. Instead of trying to fix everyone else's lives, he needed to focus his energy on himself.

That thought brought Sakura full circle to the fact that this was her chance to further things with Sasuke. There wouldn't be anyone getting in between them. No one and nothing that could prevent them from learning more about each other and possibly seeing where this sexual tension took them. Oh my gosh...sexual tension...Sakura finally admitted it to herself. She knew that she found Sasuke immensely attractive, but now she could see a spark of that same attraction in his eyes.

"Sakura." His voice didn't get any louder, but it snapped her out of her stupor.

"Sasuke. Sorry, my mind was elsewhere."

Sasuke inwardly smiled. He knew he had overwhelmed her with all of this. It was a bit overwhelming to him as well. He'd been determined to make this journey a solo one. He alone had to make up for all the mistakes he had made. Not once had it occurred to him to bring someone with him, especially not Sakura. This woman had gone from his most annoying fangirl to an irreplaceable presence in his life. A rock of acceptance and love that he had never experienced outside of his family or Naruto. He had been fully prepared to step out of the gates of Konoha today and begin his journey. Now, he had 2 days to kill and would be bringing Sakura with him.

Part of him was surprised he had accepted her offer so quickly, or even at all. He was inherently a 'lone wolf' character. He preferred to go alone, and it was what made him feel the most comfortable. Ever since the massacre of his clan, Sasuke had been alone, even in a crowd of people. The only exception was his Team 7 family. He had resisted them at every turn, but no one came out a winner against Naruto. His quick response to Sakura still surprised him. He had never closely examined how he felt about his pink haired teammate. She had always just been there. His mission of vengeance had not left much room for anything else, especially friendships or relationships. Single-minded focus on his goals had been his way of life. It had seemed like that was how it always would be. Now, in the blink of an eye, EVERYTHING had changed. Everything.

"2 days. Meet at the gates at dawn. Pack light, we will be traveling far."

"I'll be there, and I'll be ready."

With that, Sasuke was gone. Sakura immediately turned towards her apartment. There was so much to do and so little time. First things first, speak to Tsunade and then her parents. They would be the easiest ones to break the news to. Sakura knew the real trouble would begin when Naruto found out. Maybe she could make Kakashi break the news to him?

I know some people might think I'm moving too slow, but this story is going to be about Sasuke and Sakura, the dynamic of their relationship and how it could build. Its not going to be fast paced or jump the gun into an instant relationship. Between Sasuke's emotional constipation and Sakura's emotional rollercoaster, this will take time to build up to. I'm anticipating a long story that will take time. Soooooo...please be patient and enjoy the ride.


	5. Tsunade

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters within. Just a fan with an excess of imagination and a penchant for writing thoughts down.

Please remember as you read this: My story is going to go slow and explore the feeling and thoughts of everyone was they live this life. Don't expect things to move quickly and develop fast. This is a deep dive story into the development of SasuSaku. I love them and I think they deserve a happier outcome together than they got in the manga.

Responses to my reviewers:

Rinfantasy: Karin doesn't count in my estimation of who was the worst fangirl because she wasn't there during their academy days. Sasuke is thinking about the past when he speaks about it, and Orochimaru doesn't count because he's not a girl and he also was not there during the academy days. Yes, Ino was annoying, but Sakura wins for most annoying fangirl because she was the one placed on Team 7. Sasuke couldn't get away from her because of that. Thus, Sakura is the most annoying. That is my reasoning and I hope this clarifies my choice.

CherryBlossomsBlooming: Thank you for your kind words! I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me! I hope you continue to like how I portray the characters!

Chapter 4:

Naruto knew something was off. He'd been lying in wait for Sasuke for at least an hour already and the Teme hadn't shown up along the route leaving Konoha. He knew today was the day Sasuke was embarking on his journey of redemption, and he had been hoping for a few words or even a spar before he left. That idiot. Naruto tried to understand this need Sasuke felt. He knew that the last few years had been really confusing for Sasuke. To spend your life trying to kill your older brother for massacring your clan only to find out that the man had been doing it for the greater good and had spared you out of love...Naruto knew that would fuck a person up. Add into it all that Itachi had then goaded Sasuke into murdering him as an atonement of his own, and Sasuke finding out everything AFTER he killed Itachi...well that was a clusterfuck of crazy.

He had made a personal promise to Itachi that he would look out for Sasuke after he was gone. He'd have done it anyway, but it was especially important because of his own dealings with Itachi. Sasuke was more than just a friend. More even than just a best friend. Sasuke was the brother he had always wanted. Team 7 had become the family that fate had denied him. Sasuke leaving the village would split their team up again, and Naruto wasn't thrilled about it.

Coming back to his senses, Naruto looked around trying to see if Sasuke was finally coming. Where the hell was the Teme?! He was not leaving this village without a confrontation. The slashed hitai-ate weighed heavily in his pocket. It was a symbol of everything they had been through, and Naruto was determined that it would go on this journey with Sasuke since Naruto could not.

Contrary to popular belief, Naruto wasn't a complete idiot. He was a knucklehead, but not an imbecile. To fulfill his dream of becoming Hokage, he couldn't go harrowing off on an adventure with Sasuke no matter how much he wanted to. There were a million things he had to do before he would be ready for the Hokage seat. Treaties to study, policies to memorize, Anbu schedules and mission plans to focus and learn about. These were just a few of the multitude of shit he needed to learn. Hokage was a shit job, but one that Naruto had always coveted, and would proudly step into when he time came. Plus, he had a secret weapon that no other Hokage had used until now. Shadow clones. He could tackle the mountains of paperwork with the use of shadow clones. How no one else had thought to use this as a tactic for battling the boring aspects of the position Naruto would never know.

After another hour of waiting around, Naruto figured he would have to come to Sasuke. The damn Teme was either evading him on purpose, or he wasn't ready to leave yet. That was fine with Naruto. He'd hunt that asshole down. With that thought, Naruto leapt through the trees back toward the village.

Sakura landed in a crouch on the roof of her apartment. So much to do. Packing, cleaning out her apartment, preparing to leave, delegating duties at the hospital, and talking with Tsunade, Mom and Dad. First things first...lunch. She wouldn't have the energy to get everything done if she didn't fuel up.

Lunch was a simple affair. She threw together a loaded salad and grilled chicken, with a few anko dumplings as dessert. There just wasn't time for anything complicated. After lunch, Sakura headed toward the hospital. It was the most likely place to find Tsunade and she needed to unload all of her work at the hospital to someone else. Part of her was a little uneasy. Was she really doing this? Was she really upending her entire life to follow Sasuke on this journey? Her brain was telling her what a crazy decision this was. How did she know that this would work out? How did she know that what they might have would be worth it? How did she know she wasn't making a mistake?

Her heart though, told her she was making the right choice. She had loved Sasuke since their academy days. That love had be put through the ringer and tested in ways she never imagined as a child. The fact that she was still IN love with him after everything they had been through and everything he had done...well, that had to mean something. So it all came down to this...was she willing to reshape her entire future to see what she could have with Sasuke? Yes, yes she was.

The hospital came into view and Sakura quickly made her way to the floor where Tsunade's office was. Shizune greeted her cheerily as she breezed through.

"Good morning Sakura! What brings you in today? Isn't this your day off?"

"Good morning Shizune! I have something important to discuss with Tsunade-sama. Is she in?"

"Yes, she's in. She's a bit out of sorts, but I'm sure she'll perk up when she sees you."

Sakura passed Shizune as she reached for the handle of the door.

"We will see about that after she hears what I have to say."

Shizune didn't get much of a chance to do more than give her a startled look before Sakura pushed the door open and stepped into Tsunade's office. The blonde Sannin was seated behind her desk and glaring fiercely at something sitting on her desk. As the door clicked close behind Sakura, Tsunade's head snapped up. The scowl on her face softened to a grimace of mild annoyance and she shoved the papers on her desk to the right.

"Ahhhhh, Sakura, didn't I tell you not to show your face for a few days? You've been working too hard and I don't want to have to force you to take care of yourself."

"Tsunade-sama, I know I'm supposed to be taking the day off, but I can't put this off…"

"Put what off? " The scowl on Tsunade's face deepened.

"Sasuke is leaving the village...and I offered to go with him."

The long, awkward silence that followed her statement seemed to continue endlessly. The anxiety coursing through Sakura's body was like a live current. She couldn't seem to stand still and kept shifting from one foot to the other. A sweat broke out on her forehead and the back of her neck. The wringing of her hands had to looking down as she realized she was squeezing them tightly enough to be painful. The opinion of this woman meant the world to her and she would be devastated if Tsunade expressed disapproval or disappointment.

"He finally accepted your offer."

Sakura's head spun so quickly that her hair was spread across her face in disarray. Green eyes locked in a steady gaze with brown. Tsunade's face was blank of all the emotions that had been there moments before. The blank slate she presented to Sakura only made her even more nervous. Tsunade was a passionate woman that readily shared her thoughts and feeling on her face. For her to present a seemingly calm facade had Sakura wondering what her sensei was thinking.

"Y-y-yes, he accepted my offer and we are leaving in 2 days."

Inner Sakura smashed her head on a wall at the stutter. She was a grown ass woman who could make her own choices in life. She wasn't being forced to do anything and if she wanted to do this, then she definitely could. Yet, this woman was such a focal point in her life and her words had the power to deal a heavy blow.

"I see."

Well, Sakura hoped she could see too.

"You will need to pass your workloads on to other people. Are you prepared to do that?"

"Yes Tsunade-sama. I know it will be nearly impossible, but I'm going to have to do it. I am going to leave with Sasuke."

"Pfft, nearly impossible? It will be easy. Actually, I'll take your work and spread it out. You don't even need to be here for that. Don't get a big head. You aren't indispensable. Go on and do what you need to do, we will be fine."

Sakura stared gape mouthed at Tsunade. She almost wanted to protest everything her sensei had just said. She knew that her work was crucial to the hospital, and that it couldn't just be distributed to others like it was nothing. She also saw what Tsunade was doing. She knew Sakura better than she knew herself, and she would know how stressed out Sakura would be right now. Not just the stress of all the things she needed to change and get ready, Tsunade would see the stress of happiness. Sakura was so incredibly excited about this that it was becoming its own form of stress. Tsunade was doing what she could to relieve some of that stress.

"You're a terrible liar Tsunade-sama."

"Be that as it may, get your ass out of here and go get whatever done you need. 200 days wouldn't be enough to get your business in this hospital settled, so 2 certainly won't do any good. We can handle it, so get out of here."

Sakura knew from experience that arguing with Tsunade was pointless. The woman was a lot like Naruto in that respect. Once she set her mind on a course, you needed to just go along with it or get out of her way.

"Thank you Tsunade-sama. Is there an-"

"Yeah yeah. Get the hell out of here. You have a lot more to get done, and I promise to call for you if you are needed...Just stay safe and live your life Sakura. It's time to focused on yourself as much as you've focused on work."

Sakura smiled brightly and spun on her heal. Tsunade was right. She did have a lot of other things that still needed to get done, and so little time to do them in. She breezed past Shizune, her mind whirling a million miles a minute. She didn't even hear Shizune asking her if she was alright. She needed to get to her parents' house and speak with them next. Her Mom and Dad would want to help her pack her stuff and probably offer her a place to store them. Once that was all done then it would be time to tackle the hardest part...Naruto. That was probably going to be a fight.

Once Sakura exited out the door, Tsunade slumped in her chair. Her arms lifted to rest across her eyes as she tipped her head back. Well fuck. Life was about to get a lot more annoying. Sakura was one of the hardest working shinobi that Tsunade had ever seen. The shear volume of work the woman had was enough to keep a dozen lesser shinobi busy. Delegating those responsibilities would be a nightmare that Tsunade didn't want to deal with. The sound of a heavy jar thumping on the desktop had Tsunade whipping her arms down. The sight before her surprised the hell out of her. Shizune had silently entered her office and had just plunked a jar of sake on the desk. A cup mysteriously joined the jar shortly after.

"Shizune...what are you doing?"

"I could hear everything from the other side of the door. Tsunade-sama, this seems like a perfect time to partake of some sake before we have to buckle down and assume her massive load of work. You had better hurry before I change my mind."

Tsunade quickly reached to pour herself a cup of sake when she noticed a second cup join hers. She looked up at Shizune quizzically, freezing as she poured the sake. Shizune sighed loudly.

"You're spilling the sake Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade cursed and quickly tipped the sake jar up and filled the other cup. Shizune drinking sake with her was a rare situation. Obviously Shizune understood the enormity of what they had just taken on.

"Do you think she is doing the right thing Tsunade-sama? He's not going to hurt her, will he?"

"I don't know Shizune. All I know is that if it were me and Dan, I would have to make the same choice she is. As for hurting her? If that boy breaks her heart, she will crush him beneath her foot like a bug."

Shizune laughed as she and Tsunade toasted Sakura and Sasuke and the adventure they were about to embark on. Tomorrow would probably be an ugly mess as they tried to sort through all the work Sakura did and figure out how to split it up. If Sakura was willing to walk away from everything she was doing, especially after being the workaholic she was, then this decision must have meant more to her. If it was that important, then she had to do it. If she didn't, Shizune was sure she would regret it forever. Shizune just hoped that Sasuke understood the preciousness of the treasure he was taking from them. The stupid bastard had never shown such a level of self awareness, so Shizune doubted he would ever be able to truly appreciate his good fortune. Yet, people could change and mature, and hopefully Sasuke was one of those people. Shizune was just worried about what would happen when they let Naruto know their plans…


	6. Breaking it to Naruto

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters within. Just a fan with an excess of imagination and a penchant for writing thoughts down.

Responses to reviewers:

TwinkleTwinkleI'mAStar: I'm glad you agree with me that they deserve a better love story! Sakura started as my least favorite of team 7 because she was just sooo...ugh. But, She kicked ass and was really amazing during the 4th shinobi war, and my opinion of her changed. She may have started out as a weakling, but most people do. She is a badass woman who raises her kid alone and doesn't take any shit from anyone! I could never write a story about her that had her as anything but amazing! It's good to see other readers recognize her greatness! Thank you for taking the time to review and share!

Rinfantasy: Haha, Naruto has a lot in store for him! I really struggle with his disconnected relationship with Boruto and I don't plan to have that kind of situation happen in my story. My main focus will be Sasu/Saku, but I'm not leaving Naruto and Hinata out of this! Thank you for your words about my Tsunade and Shizune scene. I was a bit worried about them being out of character, but there will probably be some oocness coming up since I'm changing the storyline pretty drastically. :D thank you for your input! I appreciate it!

Chapter 5:

Sakura walked dazedly down the main street of Konoha. After her brief conversation with Tsunade, she had beelined over to her parents to break the news to them. Surprisingly, that had gone much easier than she had anticipated. Her mother had fretted a bit, but she ultimately knew that Sakura would regret not going with Sasuke. That regret would eat at her for the rest of her life with all the "What if"s. Her dad had asked only two questions, "Do you love him enough to give up everything?" "Are you sure?" After she had reassured her parents that she had thought this through, that she was prepared to give up her work at the hospital, and that she was sure she was ready for this, they had calmed down and started planning. Her mother told her not to worry about packing up her things. She would do it for her and no amount of protest from Sakura was able to change her mind. Then her parents had set about planning a final get together with all of her friends so that everyone could say their goodbyes and share their congratulations.

So here she was, walking down the street with nothing to do. Tsunade and Shizune would take care of all her affairs at the hospital, and her parents would take care of packing up her apartment and moving her things...so what was she supposed to do now? The things she had been sure would be extremely complicated and would take at least the full 2 days to get started on, let alone actually do, had been taken out of her hands and now she had time she hadn't anticipated having. The only thing left to do was to inform Naruto...damn.

Sakura was so deep in thought about how to break this all to Naruto that she never noticed the wall until she walked right into it. Before she could even process that there shouldn't be a wall in the middle of the street, an arm reached up and wrapped around her waist, steadying her. As she looked up, green meet obsidian, and a small smile spread across her face.

"You should be watching where you walk."

Those words didn't sound particularly caring, but Sakura could see a few faint lines around his mouth that hinted at hiding a smile. Sasuke's emotionless facade only fooled those who didn't know him well enough. The list of those who knew him well enough was so small that pretty much everyone was fooled. Team 7 knew better. Sasuke was actually a tremendously passionate man. Anyone who knew the Uchiha clan would know that they held a deep well of love within themselves. Their passionate nature was actually the power behind the formation of their kekkei genkai. The Uchiha almost were too emotional. They tamped down on their feelings early in life, with the hope of preventing the kind of catastrophe that had befallen Madara, and then Obito. The sharingan was a double edged sword that could backfire on the possessor if they didn't have the mental fortitude to maintain their moral code. The tamping down of the emotions actually contributed to the problems later. It was like packing your emotions into a powder keg and when it inevitably lit on fire, the explosion was massive.

"I was just thinking Sasuke. I had all these things that I had to get done, and now I have nothing. It's a bit disorienting."

Sasuke gave her a questioning look, and it had Sakura giggling. When he had that look, his head tilted to the side just slightly, and the combination was adorably endearing.

"I've spoken to Tsunade-sama, and she will be taking care of all my hospital work. I've also spoken to my parents and they are going to pack all of my things up and move them to a storage space. Those were the two big things on my to do list before I could leave, and now they have been taken care of. All that's left is telling Naruto and packing my things up for our journey. I was just trying to think about how to break this to Naruto."

"Hnnn"

Sasuke had noticed Sakura slowly walking down the road. She looked to be deeply entrenched in thought, and extremely preoccupied. Sasuke had stood in front of her, expecting her to notice him. When she had failed to do so, and in fact, ran into him, it had slightly surprised him. Whatever she had been thinking about must have been serious for her to fail to notice her surroundings. After her explanation, he could see why she had been so preoccupied. Naruto was probably going to be a big hurdle for them. He was going to be upset and hurt that he was not being invited on this journey with them. They were a team, even if Sasuke had defected for a while. Naruto wouldn't want to be left out of this, no matter what his responsibilities were. The Dobe needed to worry about his own business, and not them.

"Naruto is a dilemma, but not one you have to tackle alone. We will inform him together."

Inner Sakura was bouncing off the walls of her mind. Sasuke had just said they were in this together. TOGETHER. Every hardship of her life was culminating in this miraculous moment right here and now.

"Then we should decide the best way to break this to him. I don't want him to find this out from anyone else. Naruto deserves to hear it from us."

"Naruto deserves to hear what from you?"

They turned as one to face their blonde teammate as he appeared out of nowhere.

"Oh shit."

-/b/-

Naruto had checked Sasuke's normal haunts. The training ground was empty. The Uchiha ground was empty and kind of creepy. He wasn't even at the monument that Tsunade had erected in honor of the fallen Uchiha clan and Itachi in particular. Just where the hell was that Teme?! Naruto was just getting ready to take a break and grab some ramen when he noticed his pink haired teammate walking down the road. He was getting ready to go invite her for some ramen when he noticed the asshole he had been looking for all day. There he was! He observed Sakura running into Sasuke and the giggle fest that followed...sheesh. Flirting in the middle of the road. Naruto guessed he would invite both of them for ramen!

All thoughts of ramen flew from his mind as he approached them and overheard their conversation.

"...don't want him to find this out from anyone else. Naruto deserves to hear it from us."

"Naruto deserves to hear what from you?"

Naruto really wanted to laugh at the startled look of panic that flashed across Sakura's face and the slight raise of an eyebrow from Sasuke. Yet, the nervousness that permeated the air, and the guilty look that took over Sakura told him that whatever they were about to tell him was not a funny thing. Sakura was the first to break the awkward silence that had descended.

"Naruto! Ummm, why don't we take this conversation somewhere private?"

"Is it that bad of a thing you need to share?"

Sasuke butted in and delivered a place to go.

"Training ground 3. Let's go."

Sasuke quickly shunshined, and his teammates followed after him. It didn't take long for them to arrive, and they were glad to find it empty. Sakura was fidgeting nervously while Sasuke just stared at Naruto steadily. For his part, Naruto tried to look relaxed. He had no idea what these two were about to tell him, but it obviously was something they were worried about his reaction to. Not only had Sakura suggested they take it to a private area, but Sasuke had suggested the team training ground from their genin days. This would indicate that they had upsetting news that might have him reacting badly. Well, best to just get this over with, whatever it was.

"Alright, we're here. What do you need to tell me about?"

"Well, Naruto, Sasuke is leaving on a journey…"

"Yeah yeah. I know all about it. He thinks he has to make up for being a stupid Teme and making poor choices. That's old news."

"Shut up and listen Dobe. Don't interrupt."

"Ugh, fine. Please continue Sakura."

"As I was saying, Sasuke is leaving on a journey, and I offered to go with him...and he said alright."

Naruto stared at Sakura blankly for a moment. She had offered to travel with him, again, and this time he agreed to it? There was a dual response in Naruto. Half of him was thrilled for his teammates. Sakura was going to be with the man she obviously loved, loved enough to leave the village and hospital behind. Sasuke was finally acknowledging Sakura and moving forward with his life, the way his family would have wanted him to. The other half of him was hurt and upset. He had finally managed to bring Sasuke back to the village, and brought team 7 together again. Now it was going to be torn in half. He wanted to spend more time together before that happened. He didn't want to have to say goodbye to his friends again!

Yet, Naruto had learned a few things from the last couple years. You couldn't make someone else do what you wanted. People had to make their own choices, whether you agreed or not. Goodbyes were really only see you laters. Even death was only a separation of sorts, and you'd be reunited on the other side. Lastly, Naruto understood that the happiness of his friends and family was more important to him than his own. He knew that Sakura had been in love with Sasuke since their academy days, and she desperately wanted to go with him in the past. This was finally her chance to be with him. Sasuke on the other hand preferred to be alone. So for him to accept her presence on his journey was a huge deal. Naruto had long suspected that Sasuke held feelings for Sakura, feelings he wasn't willing to pursue before. If he had agreed to bring her with him, then he must have decided he was ready to see where those feelings would take them.

A lot of people over the years had treated Naruto like he was an non-observant idiot. He had proved them right on several occasions, but it was different when it came to his team. His powers of observation seemed limited to Team 7. He had noticed the loneliness and heartbreak in Sasuke, as well as the confusion and anger. He had noticed the underlying emotional turmoil that a lot of their friends had missed. He noticed how much time Kakashi spent at the memorial stone when he thought no one would know. He'd also seen the photo of his old team Kakashi carried, hidden in the folds of his Icha Icha book. The smiling faces of Obito, Rin, and Minato were a great contrast to Kakashi's bored, cloth covered face. As for Sakura, Naruto had noticed all the extra training she had put in to make sure he and Sasuke didn't leave her behind. He'd also noticed the constant melancholy that had hanging over her these last few months. She pasted on a smile and was always joking around and trying to act normal, but Naruto wasn't fooled. You couldn't fool someone who had perfected a fake smile and cheerfulness. Team 7 and everything they had been through had helped Naruto become the shinobi he was today. He would probably still be pulling stupid pranks and trying to get people to acknowledge him if it weren't for them.

He owed it to them to use his knowledge in a responsible way. They both probably thought he was going to force them to take him too. He could tell by their body language, stiff postures and Sakura's fidgeting, that they thought he was about to blow up. Honestly, he wanted to blow up. Why the hell did Sasuke need to leave? There were plenty of people here he could redeem himself to, and there was a lot of good he could do for the village. What was going on in his head?

BUT. Naruto understood, to some extent, that for whatever reason, Sasuke needed to do this. He could understand an innate drive to do something that others couldn't understand. A lot of their friends didn't understand Naruto's drive to become Hokage. It was just something that Naruto had always wanted to do, and he had a strong drive inside himself to achieve it. He also knew how much Sakura desired to go with Sasuke, wherever he went. If Hinata suddenly decided to leave, Naruto would have no choice but to go with her. It was part of loving someone apparently. Thoughts of Hinata drew he back to the present.

He wanted to rant and rail at his teammates. He wanted to make them take him too, but he had his own life to live. He had set himself on the course to become Hokage long ago. He had so much work to achieve before he was even close to being ready for it. He didn't have the time to harrow off on some journey with his friends, no matter how much he wanted to. He and Hinata had also been working on them and their relationship. Naruto had picked out a ring and was planning to ask her to marry him as soon as the time was right. He couldn't leave her. He didn't want to leave.

This was something these two would have to do alone, but he'd be damned if they didn't report back to him regularly to let him know how they were doing. He'd also be damned that he didn't rub it in their faces that they would be alone and were now adults. Adults that could do adult things...wink wink.

"Of course he said Alright. He'd be a complete dumbass to turn you down a second time. Teme might be stupid, but not that stupid. I don't like this, and I'm pissed off at you guys for leaving me behind like this. I expect you both to send updates regularly, or I'm going to have to hunt you down and get my answers. Don't do anything stupid out there, and call for help if you need it. You know I'll come for you."

Sakura's jaw dropped. Sasuke froze in surprise. They had expected an explosion of epic proportions from Naruto. He was their hotheaded knucklehead friend who acted first and asked questions later...much later. His pause of silence had them bracing for the meltdown, but he had acted completely differently than expected. Which, in all honestly, was not that surprising. Naruto never did what others expected of him. He was an energetic enigma. Hand it to him that he would surprise them again at this time.

"Naruto, are you okay?"

"Of course I am Sakura, why would you ask me that? Is it because I'm not yelling and screaming at you guys? Come on. Even I can see that you are both set on this. As much as I want to come with you, I can't leave. Not if I want to become Hokage. Plus, I can't leave Hinata. I want to yell and scream at you guys, and I definitely want to come with you, but I'm mature enough to know I can't do that. Plus, how are you guys ever going to get in bed together with a third wheel following around? Sheesh, even I can read the room here."

Naruto sprung away and shunshinned away before what he said could fully sink in and earn him a fist from either friend. He smirked as he imagined how embarrassed Sakura must be. That smirk morphed into a huge, goofy smile and laughter when he heard Sakura bellow his name behind him. Naruto had every faith that those two would work themselves out and end up rebuilding the Uchiha clan, but it would be a lot easier without a third wheel following after them.

-/b/-

There was a charged moment of silence as Naruto's parting words hung in the air. As soon as they both grasped what he had said, Sakura blushed from her forehead down to her toes and began sputtering. Sasuke's face blanked and he closed his eyes as he tried not to laugh. That stupid dobe was going to get it when Sakura finally snapped out of it. She looked about ready to explode. In Sasuke's opinion, he'd earned whatever Sakura planned after that.

"NARUTOOOOOO!"

Sakura was thanking the powers that be for the calm reaction Naruto was giving them until his final sentence penetrated her brain. ' _how are you guys ever going to get in bed together_ '...get in BED. Her and Sasuke. Together. Inner Sakura short circuited, and the embarrassment threatened to swamp her entire mind. Naruto was suddenly gone and Sakura was staring at Sasuke. He was just standing there with a blank face and closed eyes...HE WAS LAUGHING. Sakura was sure of it. Not a single noise escaped his mouth, and he wasn't looking anywhere, but Sakura was sure that Sasuke was laughing on the inside. Oh, that Naruto. He was going to get it when she caught him.

"I'm going to kill him. Slowly!"

Sakura suddenly shunshinned after Naruto, intent on enacting her revenge on her friend for his deliberate teasing. Sasuke watched her follow Naruto. She was going to beat the shit out of him when she caught him, and she would definitely catch him. The dobe was going to get his comeuppance. Sasuke smiled. Really smiled. No one was there to see it, so he didn't worry about it. Seeing as his future plans did indeed include the two of them in bed, he couldn't really be mad at Naruto. He'd get his own revenge when Naruto finally asked Hinata to marry him. Sasuke wasn't sure how much longer it would take him, but he'd plan his revenge and enact it when the time was right.

Sasuke leisurely followed the direction Naruto and Sakura had left in. Life was looking pretty good right now. He'd enjoy it while it lasted. He wasn't exactly sure what to expect once he and Sakura actually got on the road. Only 2 more days before his life took another interesting turn.


	7. Hinata, and a taste of revenge

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters within. Just a fan with an excess of imagination and a penchant for writing thoughts down.

Response to reviewers:

eelaiiii: I've always felt like Naruto is more mature than we give him credit for. He definitely has his dumb moments, but I feel like all the crap he went through during the 4th shinobi war should have resulted in a more mature Naruto. He is the product of the 4th and Kushina, there was to be more maturity buried in there somewhere! I'm happy you like it so far! Thank you for reviewing and sharing!

Rinfantasy: Haha, Naruto may have won this time, but I promise you that Sasuke will get his revenge!

TwinkleTwinkleI'mAStar: Thank you! I'm trying to stay in character but also have them evolve differently than they do in the manga. Sasuke has to have some playfulness buried in him somewhere, right?! He definitely will in my story haha.

Chapter 6:

Hinata placed a bouquet of sunflowers on the grave of her cousin, Neji. Her heart hurt whenever she thought about his absence in their lives. They hadn't gotten along well growing up, but after Neji's battles with Naruto, he had begun to change. The Neji that had emerged from that time was one that Hinata would cherish in her memories. He had learned to be compassionate with others, had found peace in his position in the branch family, and had taken an active interest in training with Hinata. The training had morphed as well. When they were kids, the training had consisted of Neji beating the shit out of her at every turn and revealing to the entire clan how weak Hinata was. After his change, the training sessions had become a time of teaching and teamwork. Neji had begun to show Hinata how to recognize and harness the power she possessed. He had take the time to boost her self esteem and help her discover the wealth of strength she had deep within.

All in all, Neji had become an irreplaceable presence in her life. The older brother she had never had. His death in the act of saving her life was something she would carry with her into the next world. He had known that Hinata would sacrifice her life for Naruto's, and he had jumped in front of the spikes that would have impaled her. He had also issued a warning to Naruto to not be so reckless, to always remember that his life was entwined with Hinata's. Hinata still blushed when she thought of it. The shocked look on Naruto's face had brought a smile to Neji's. That smile helped to blunt the sharp stab of pain brought up with the memory. Neji had died with a smile on his face. At least she knew he was at peace with his role in protecting them and the future.

After the war was over, and Naruto had returned Sasuke to the village, he had come to find her. That trademark smile on his face, even with the empty sleeve shifting with the wind. Hinata secretly winced when she saw it. Her beloved Naruto, forced to sacrifice his arm to bring Sasuke back to the village. The loss of that arm was a vivid reminder that she had almost lost him, and really the entire world, to the machinations of the Uchiha and black Zetsu.

Now, she and Naruto had been officially together for a while, and things were really looking up. Naruto was studying seriously to become Hokage, and he was listening to what Kakashi, Iruka, and Tsunade were telling him. They had been having lunch regularly, and not just ramen. Hinata had been practicing making bentos and taking them on picnic lunches with Naruto. She blushed when she remembered that their lunch yesterday had led to a pretty heated makeout session. Things had steadily been heating up with Naruto, and Hinata was flying high in the clouds every time she thought of the future.

Yet, thoughts of the future always brought her back to the past, and back to today. She made a point of coming to Neji's grave at least once a week, sometime more when she had things to share and the weather was favorable. She'd bring a bouquet of sunflowers and sit by Neji's grave stone. She'd fill him in on all the things changing in her life and around the village. Naruto had expressed to her his feelings about changing the caged-bird seal on the branch family of the Hyuuga after he became Hokage. He felt for sure that there had to be a better way of protecting the Byakugan than to brand all branch family members with the stigma and the aftermath of the caged-bird seal. He was determined to find a solution that the Hyuuga would agree to. Hinata was sure that Neji would be happy to hear of it. Sometimes, she would swear she could feel him there with her, listening to her words.

Today she was here to tell Neji about the growing prospect of her and Naruto moving in together. A blush stole over her face as she recalled Naruto's hesitant question to her the previous day.

"Hey, Hinata…"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"You know, things have been settling down around the village...and…"

"Naruto-kun?"

"Well, I'm just thinking, maybe you might want to see about...tryingthiswholelivingtogetherthing."

The words had taken a second to decypher themselves in her mind, and when they did she had blushed from head to toe as a smile burst forth on her face.

"Naruto-kun, did you just ask me to move in with you?"

"...maybe? Depends on whether you say yes or no."

"Oh, Naruto-kun, I would love to! If that's alright with you…"

"Of course it is! I wouldn't have brought it up if I wasn't serious about it, dattebayo!"

That had led to the two of them making some plans to explore an apartment that would work for both of them, and gain the approval of her father. Hiashi Hyuuga was fully supportive of Hinata and Naruto's relationship, and was looking forward to having the Nanadaime Hokage as a son-in-law. They just had to conduct themselves as they should, as befits the heir of the Hyuuga clan and the Nanadaime Hokage hopeful. She was meeting Naruto later today to talk about what they wanted in an apartment and where they wanted to be within the village.

"Neji-nii-san, Naruto-kun has asked me to move in with him soon. You'd probably be grilling Naruto-kun about his intentions right now. I'm just happy to be moving forward with him beside me. I can never thank you enough for everything you've done for me, and for Naruto-kun. We owe our lives to you. I promise not to squander even a single second of the time you have given us. I'm nervous. What if I have some annoying habit that Naruto-kun decides he can't live with? What if he doesn't? I'm excited and nervous and just feeling very happy right now. I wish you could be here to talk with in person."

There was a rustle of the wind as it blew through her hair. It gently waved the leaves in the trees, and the blades of grass all around her. The petals of the sunflowers waved slightly, and one bright yellow petal flew around and landed on her knee. It made Hinata feel like Neji was there and that he approved. That brought a smile to her face.

"Thank you Neji-nii-san. I miss you, and I know you are watching out for us. Please keep watching us. I'll be back soon."

Hinata stood up and began to walk back towards the village. Behind her, Neji's spirit smiled from his position sitting near his burial stone. He looked down at the sunflowers Hinata had brought him and brushed his fingers across them. He was glad that Hinata was safe and that Naruto was finally realizing the treasure he had in her. Neji was sure that he would live up to his expectations. He planned to stick around to make sure though. One never quite knew what to expect from Naruto. He faded slowly as he thought of the smile on Hinata's face as she talked about Naruto. He was content that Hinata was happy.

-/b/-

Sakura had just arrived back at her apartment. Her mother and father had already begun packing up her things, as evidenced by the boxes of clothing and kitchen appliances sitting, opened in her living room. She was feeling a little listless as she looked at them. They represented everything that had happened up to this point. She wasn't going to be taking any of them with her on this journey.

The journey. She had no idea how long this journey would last, where they were going, or what was going to happen between her and Sasuke. She knew what she wanted to have happen, and she hoped Sasuke was thinking along the same lines. This was the chance she had been hoping to be given for years. This THING between her and Sasuke would have a chance to grow, and they would be given a chance to explore it more fully.

Her love for Sasuke had evolved over the years. It had begun as a childish infatuation with the dark and brooding Sasuke, who was the most attractive boy in their class. The 'bad-boy' mysterious thing he had going for him back then drew in a lot of the girls. After she had been placed on his team, that infatuation had grown more intense. Now she was able to see his strength and drive for his goals. That was an attractive quality to Sakura. Then she had seen his bloodlust and his drive to kill his brother. That had shaken her foundation at the time. To think that the boy she loved was planning vengeance and death against his own brother had made her look closer at her feelings for him and whether she could deal with that kind of dark nature. The answer had been yes, she could still love him, even though he planned to murder his brother. The reveal of everything that involved Itachi had cemented her feelings. Not only had Sasuke felt remorse and revulsion at what he had done, but he had also shown his deep love for his brother when he had then used the knowledge to plan his vengeance FOR Itachi. His aim had been off when he had turned in on the entire village, but still that had not shattered her love for him.

He was a deeply flawed man, one with many skeletons in his past. The baggage he carried would be heavy, and anyone that stood with him would have to be able to bear the weight with him. She could do that. She understood that Sasuke was a multi-faceted individual that would continually surprise her. She had been very sure he would turn her down when she offered to travel with him. His acceptance had shocked her. At his core, the man was compassionate and empathic. His love for his family and brother was ingrained in his very being. You couldn't love someone the way he loved Itachi and be a bad person.

So, she was apprehensive about this journey, not because she was afraid it wouldn't go well. She was apprehensive because it could go right. She was nervous about succeeding, finally. Sasuke may decide they could have a future together. Futures included a home, a career, a FAMILY. Rebuilding the clan. A family meant having sex. SEX with Sasuke. Inner Sakura was swooning in happiness. Being on the cusp of something so monumental and desired in her future was making her giddy.

A sharp knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts. That could be anyone at the door. She wasn't expecting anyone, so who would it be? She quickly moved to open the door. On the other side stood her girl friends. Ino in the front, with Tenten and Hinata behind her. Oh shit. Here it comes.

"Sakura! Why didn't you tell us you were leaving!"

-/b/-

Naruto was nursing his bruised cheek. Sakura had given him quite a beating when she caught him. Damn, it was just a joke. She didn't need to get so bent out of shape about it. He wouldn't take it back either. He'd say it again, even knowing the beating that would come afterwards. If they were going to be leaving him behind, then he could make a few jokes at their expense.

The head of the 4th Hokage had always been his thinking space, and tonight was no exception. He was genuinely happy for his friends. They deserved to be happy together. Sasuke had been through the ringer with all the revelations about the Uchiha clan and what had led to the massacre. Naruto knew he wanted to settle down and rebuild his clan in peace, but he felt he hadn't earned that right yet. Naruto felt differently. Sasuke had earned his peace. He had fought alongside them all to take down Madara and Black Zetsu, as well as Kaguya. They literally couldn't have done it without Sasuke's help. It had required both of them to seal her away. Sasuke had also fought with Naruto, but not because he wanted to kill him. He had done it because he believed in his own ideas about how to bring peace. His ideas had been wrong, but he had carried his own conviction about them. Naruto couldn't fault him for that. Sasuke had also bowed out when he realized that he was beat, and that Naruto was right. He deserved credit for that. He had sacrificed and worked hard to help everyone, and that had to count for something.

Sasuke and Sakura would leave the village in less than 2 days. Naruto was trying to kick the melancholy before they left. His friends were happy, and moving forward with their lives. That was something to be happy about. He had just hoped that they would move forward with their lives in the village, together. The reality was sinking in and it brought with it sadness. Naruto wanted to show them a smile when they left, not the frown that was currently sitting on his face.

He had his own plans to worry about. He'd finally asked Hinata to move in with him, and she had agreed! He needed to start looking at apartments that would work for them. He also had a small, black box in his pocket that was burning a hole in his mind. He wanted to ask her to marry him. He was sure she would say yes, but he was still nervous. Women liked to be asked in special ways. He'd listened to Ino and Sakura over the years talking about all the things that would make it special, but nothing they had said seemed to fit his Hinata. He also didn't want to rush her. What if he asked to early? What if he asked to late? What if he asked it wrong? The ring could get lost. There were so many ways this could go wrong. Normally, Naruto wasn't one to worry about details. He was the kind to rush ahead and do whatever he wanted and worry about the consequences later. Hinata was a different story for him. He couldn't afford for anything to go wrong with her. He wanted everything he had never had in life, and he wanted it with her. He couldn't mess this up. It had to be perfect.

He knew they were there before they revealed their presence. Kakashi, Iruka, and Sasuke all stepped out of the shadows and sat upon the 4th's head with him. Sasuke smirked at the fading bruises on Naruto's face. The damn Teme, always laughing at his expense. Kakashi and Iruka just raised their eyebrows at him. Naruto snorted and refused to discuss how he had been injured. Let Sasuke fill them in if he wanted to.

"Naruto, I think it's time we had a talk."

"Talk? About what?"

"The birds and the bees."

"EHHHH?!" Naruto looked scandalized.

Iruka balked as he swiveled towards Kakashi. That had not been the topic they had been ready to discuss before they got up here. They had been worried that Naruto would be depressed about Sasuke and Sakura both leaving the village, and had decided to team up to talk with him. Iruka knew how important Team 7 was to Naruto, and having half of it leave on a mission with no ending would no doubt have him feeling down and lonely. This must have been what Sasuke had arrived to talk to Kakashi in private about. The two had been speaking in low tones, and Iruka had been unable to hear what they were saying. The two of them had also not seen fit to include Iruka in the conversation, and it was now readily apparent why.

Kakashi was laughing his ass off in his mind. Naruto looked so affronted by the topic of birds and bees that he might even fall off the monument. Sasuke had asked Kakashi for the favor when he had appeared out of nowhere 10min ago. Apparently Naruto had slipped a joke about sex in front of Sakura, and Sasuke wanted a little bit of revenge. Sasuke had something else planned, Kakashi knew it. The brooding young man usually kept his plans close, so he knew that he wouldn't share the details even if Kakashi asked. This little side dish was just for fun. Since the discomfort of his students always made Kakashi laugh, he had readily agreed to embarrass the blonde. It was definitely worth it.

Sasuke smirked. This was just a little appetizer for Naruto. Let him squirm while Kakashi painfully and colorfully described "the birds and the bees" to Naruto. The dobe deserved it. Sakura had gotten her revenge in the form of physical violence, but Sasuke preferred a more subtle touch. It was a lost art.

The following conversation would be hilarious, and Sasuke wasn't going to miss a single moment of the sputtering blonde as he tried to stave off a conversation about sex that Kakashi wasn't going to be waylaid about. Sasuke had all night. He wasn't leaving for 2 more days, and he was already packed and ready to go.

Naruto groaned as he saw the look in Kakashi's eyes. He wasn't going to escape this torture. The only consolation was that Iruka looked just as defeated as he did. Obviously, he had been kept in the dark about whatever the trio was here to discuss. Hopefully this wouldn't take long, Naruto really didn't want to listen to Kakashi describe his Icha Icha books in graphic detail. Ugh. He would never tease Sakura about her and Sasuke and sex again, not if this was the price to pay.


	8. True revenge and party time!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters within. Just a fan with an excess of imagination and a penchant for writing thoughts down.

Sorry everyone! I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel shortly after finishing the last chapter and typing has been hard to do. I was also traveling a lot and getting some things done with looking for a job. I hope you guys can understand it's been rough, but I promise not to give up on this story!

Response to reviewers:

TwinkleTwinkleI'mAStar: Yay! Here's another update for you! :D

eelaiiii: I'm glad you like it so far! Team 7 really is full of shit haha, and there is plenty more to come in the future!

Rinfantasy: Yes, it is early in the storyline for Hinata and Naruto, but I'm taking a bit of creative license here. Mostly stemming from my own feelings that people should give living together a try before they get married. Also, my version of Naruto is a bit more mature than he is portrayed in the anime/manga, so he realizes that he could have died a hundred different times and ways during the war and fight against Sasuke, and he doesn't want to waste the chances given to him by waiting. The subtle changes I'm making to Naruto's character are going to lead to big changes in his life later on, so stay tuned! Also, Sasuke isn't done with his revenge… ;P

zoeydc: thank you! I'm glad you are enjoying it so far!

PositiveCharm416: Thank you! This story will hopefully be full of humor and plot twists ;)

Chapter 7:

 _ **"Sakura! Why didn't you tell us you were leaving!"**_

Sakura winced at the shrill tone in Ino's voice. She always got that tone when she was excited, angry, or a combo of both. Right now, Sakura would guess that she was more angry than excited. The tilt of her eyebrows and the scowl on her face were dead giveaways for the anger that Sakura could see flaring in her eyes. Sakura had been planning on telling them about the changes in her life, it had just been a whirlwind of crazy all day and she really hadn't had a chance to recover yet.

She had expected to spend her 2 days trying to sort through her apartment and her hospital duties, focusing on things that needed to be taken care of before she left. She had not anticipated Tsunade and her parents stepping in and taking care of it all for her. Then she had been worrying about how to deal with Naruto, and even that had been anticlimactic. Naruto had pretty much blown their concerns out of the water. He had accepted their choice to leave, not demanded to come with them, and had even joked about their future sex life. He'd gotten his ass beat for that last part, but all in all, his reaction had been completely different than what had been expected. Now Sakura found herself with another almost 2 days before she was leaving and the only thing left to do was pack her stuff for the journey. Obviously, breaking it to her friends that she was leaving before they found out second hand had completely escaped her mind in all the chaos. She should have gone to them right away, but there had been so many things to do in such a short amount of time.

Tenten and Hinata looked much less angry. There was a sadness in their demeanor that indicated they were more hurt than mad. On the other hand, Ino was in fine form. Her scowl was deep, and her shoulder were set in an aggressive stance. She looked like she was ready to hit Sakura, but there was a layer of hurt buried under it if you knew what to look for.

"Ino, I wasn't trying to hide it. I was planning to come talk to you all tomorrow, after I got some sleep and recovered from the crazy shit that happened today. I'm sorry! I haven't even had time to fully process what is happening and what I need to do."

Ino looked like she wanted to argue more about it, but Tenten and Hinata both placed a hand on either of her shoulders. The gesture helped Ino reel in her emotions and the scowl softened. Ino took a deep breath and placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm not ready to accept your apology yet, but I'll be damned if we don't send you off in style Forehead. Let's get her ready girls, tonight we're gonna to party!"

Sakura backed away from the trio as they pushed their way into her apartment. The determination on Ino's face, and the smiles that Tenten and Hinata wore had inner Sakura on alert. The trio herded Sakura into her bedroom to get her changed and ready for what they had planned that night.

-/b/-

Sasuke was able to maintain his emotionless facade during the grueling conversation that Kakashi was having with Naruto, but it was a close call a few times. Kakashi had procured several of his Icha Icha books and had used them as reference material for how to do the "birds and the bees" thing. Naruto had his hands over his face and was rocking back and forth. Sasuke was surprised he wasn't foaming at the mouth and comatose on the 4th's head. The Dobe was absolutely mortified to be stuck in this situation, and Sasuke was loving every minute of it. Kakashi had taken to this topic with a gusto, and he wasn't leaving any part of it out. Naruto had tried to escape, but Kakashi and Sasuke had proved to be too resourceful for him. Sasuke had anticipated his escape attempts and had brought along some rope. They had only released him from the rope after he had promised to never make a sex joke about Sakura and Sasuke again, and had promised to sit and listen to the entire conversation. It had taken a while to get Naruto to agree, but being tied up was too much for him in the long run. Now he just sat and tried to block out Kakashi's voice.

"Women love this next part Naruto! After the woman is in position, the male will put his pe-"

"I think that's quite enough, Kakashi."

Iruka had had enough. He'd let them embarrass Naruto enough, and it was time to get back to their original intent in coming to Naruto. Quite honestly, Iruka had heard enough to last him a lifetime. He had no idea who Kakashi could read all of that and talk about it with a straight face. He'd felt a blush creep up his own face several times during this discussion. He was sure that Naruto would be traumatized for life after this. Hell, Iruka might be traumatized for life too. Those Icha Icha books were a menace to society. Naruto may have trained under the legendary Sannin Jiraiya, but obviously his perverse nature had not rubbed off on the boy.

Kakashi pouted.

"But we were just getting to the best parts Iruka!"

"This is not what we came here to discuss with Naruto! We had a purpose in coming here, let's get to it."

Kakashi's eyes crinkled as he smiled under his mask. Tonight had started out a bit gloomy and sad as they approached Naruto, assuming he would be brooding and upset about his friends leaving. The unexpected joy of sharing his Icha Icha books with his students, and embarrassing both Naruto and Iruka had been glorious. Iruka was right though, they had come here with a purpose in mind, and the blonde had definitely been working up a good brood before they had arrived. From what Sasuke had told him earlier, Naruto had put up a good front when they told him. He was probably trying to keep his shit together until they left and then he would breakdown. Wearing a mask of happiness was second nature for Naruto, he'd worn one his entire life. Those who were close to him could see through it, and no one was closer to Naruto than the members of Team 7. If even Sasuke was troubled about Naruto's inner feelings, it had to be a huge shock to the blonde.

Well, Kakashi had a topic that could take Naruto's find off of Sasuke's departure.

"So Naruto, have you started looking for places to live with Hinata?"

"No, I just asked her to move in. I haven't even had a chance to look at the market."

"Naruto, you can't ask a lady to move in with you if you don't have an adequate place prepared!"

Naruto looked at Kakashi, feeling like he was walking into a trap but being unable to determine the nature of it.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm sure there are plenty of great places on the market right now. It shouldn't be too hard to find a good one that fits Hinata and I."

"Naruto! This is your love nest! This is where you and Hinata will put all the knowledge I have imparted to you this night to use! You can't just pick anywhere! You will need a place with sturdy furnishings and thick walls. Those are not the easiest things to find."

"AHHHHHH!"

Naruto's face flamed red and his hands slammed over his ears. His horror stricken face shot from Kakashi's seemingly innocent facade, to Sasuke's smug smirk, finally landing on Iruka's embarrassed grimace.

"I hate you sometimes, Kakashi-sensei."

-/b/-

Sakura had been expecting Ino, Tenten, and Hinata to whisk her to her bedroom to slip into her slinkiest club clothes, douse her face in makeup, and hit the club scene HARD. Instead, she was pleasantly surprised to have a pair of comfy clothes thrust into her hands. She quickly changed and rejoined the trio in her living room. Ino was busy bossing the other two around as they compiled what looked like lists. Sakura was getting really curious by this point.

"Uhhh, girls, what exactly are we doing for this 'party'?"

Ino shushed her and focused back on the tasks at hand. Sakura felt a sweat drop at her temple. Of course her best friend would have the audacity to shush her in her own home. Hopefully the quiet talking amongst the three would yield some action soon.

"Alright, we have everything planned and ready to go. We just need to hit the grocery store and we will be good to go."

"The grocery store…? I thought we were partying?"

"We are Forehead, we are. Just get your shoes on and let's go."

The four women shuffled out of the apartment and down to the grocery store. Sakura began to see the picture as she followed her friends through the freezer aisle to the munches aisle, and finally the movie rentals. Their baskets filled with frozen pizzas, ice cream, popcorn, chocolate, and finally some of their favorite movies. The true nature of the party was coming to light, and Sakura felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude well inside of her. She was truly blessed to have such amazing friends, and she really would miss them while she was out in the world traveling with Sasuke.

"Alright girls, I'm ready to get this party started!"


	9. Revealing conversations and peace found

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters within. Just a fan with an excess of imagination and a penchant for writing thoughts down.

Sakura woke up the next morning feeling peaceful and content. Last night had been the most fun she had enjoyed in a long time. They had stayed up late, eating junk food, watching movies, and indulging in some girl talk. Tenten and Hinata were still sleeping on the couch and floor respectively, right where they had been when the last movie had ended. All of them must have passed out, since the tv was still on and no one had even tried to clean things up. Sakura noticed that one of her cohorts was suspiciously missing. Ino. Where was she at? She looked around and quickly realized that Ino was nowhere to be found inside the apartment. She must have either left or...ahhh, there she is. Ino was leaning on the railing of the balcony, seemingly staring off into space. Her body language denoted a sense of tension and stress. Sakura approached cautiously and placed her hand on Ino's left shoulder.

"Hey Pig, what are you doing out here by yourself?"

Ino was silent for a long moment, continuing to stare out at the surrounding landscape. Sakura almost wasn't sure she would answer at all, until Ino straightened and pivoted toward Sakura. Her face was a mask of indifference as she focused her gaze on Sakura.

"You are leaving Sakura."

Sakura was puzzled by Ino's abrupt statement. Of course she was leaving. They had all talked about it late into the night, about how Sakura was leaving, what was happening with her work at the hospital, and her parents packing their things. She had told them all about Naruto and his reaction, which had led to an offshoot conversation about Naruto and Hinata. Hinata had revealed to them that Naruto had asked her to move in with him and that she had agreed. Hinata was one big blush as she talked about it, but her eyes had lit up and she had be unable to wipe the smile from her face. It had helped Sakura feel more at ease with her own leaving. Hinata would be here to help Naruto get through things without her and Sasuke around. Hinata would make sure he wasn't feeling lonely and abandoned.

Ino had shared all of her own progress in her relationship pursuit with Sai. Good lord, those two were quite a pair. Sai was even more emotionally stunted than Sasuke, but had a much more wicked sense of humor. Ino was in possession of enough emotions for the two of them, and had a temper to boot. Their relationship would probably be full of ups and downs, but Sakura was happy that her best friend and her team mate were finding happiness together.

Hell, even Tenten had opened up about her secret love for Neji. Who knew the two of them were making plans for the future before the war? Sakura definitely hadn't. Neji always seemed like such a stoic stick in the mud, but the side of him that Tenten had described sounded like a completely different person.

That was neither here nor there. Right now, this was about Ino and her blunt comment.

"Yes Ino, I am leaving. We talked about this last night."

"I know, but you are leaving, for real leaving, and who knows when you will return...if you will return…"

Sakura had no idea how to respond to her best friend. Ino looked like a powder keg about to explode. Her face was turning red and her eyes kept blinking rapidly. Her fists were clenched at her sides, and her whole body was stiff and poised for motion. As Sakura was sure that she was about to explode with action, Ino seemed to sink into herself and just deflate. As the tension slipped away, her eyes got moist and her arms crossed and her hands cupped her upper arms. The tears finally started falling and Ino just seemed to lose all composure.

"I don't know if I'll ever see you again! What if something happens out there? What if you need help but none of us are there?!"

Sakura enveloped her best friend in the tightest hug she had ever given her. She had not even considered the dangers that would probably be present out on the road . In her mind, she was going to be with Sasuke, and that meant that she would be safe no matter what. Ino and the other rookie 9 were still wary of Sasuke and hadn't been able to trust him again the way she and Naruto could. They still saw him as a danger and a rogue nin. It made sense that Ino would then be worried about her. Although her and Ino had always had a crazy rivalry between the two of them, they had grown close as young girls and that friendship had always continued to grow. As women, they were the absolute best of friends, and Ino was scared she was losing her and their friendship.

"Ino, I promise I will be safe. Sasuke will take the very best care of me that he can, I know he will. But I don't need him to look out for me! I'd kick anyone's ass if they tried to mess with me. I'm not the disciple of Tsunade-sama for nothing! Do you really think I can't take care of myself?"

"But what about if you guys encounter another monster like during the war?! How are you supposed to survive against that?!"

"Pig, Naruto and Sasuke took care of that monster! It's gone! I need to be with Sasuke. You've known how I felt since we were little girls. There is no way I can let him leave without me again. I PROMISE I will be fine. I'll write to you guys every chance I can, and we will come back to visit when it's possible. We aren't leaving and then never returning. I know it's hard to believe, so I want you to believe in me instead. Have faith in me, and my abilities. I've never lied to you, and I'm not lying now. I will see you again, and if you and Sai get married, I will be there!"

Ino's face flushed red as soon as Sakura mentioned marriage to Sai. She swung around and presented her back to Sakura, too embarrassed to continue that line of conversation. She collected herself, mortified that she had broken down in front of Sakura.

"Well Forehead, I will never forgive you if this is the last conversation we have and you miss my wedding. NEVER. So make sure you take care of yourself, and kick his ass if he isn't treating you right."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as Ino seemed to shake some of the melancholy she had been enshrouded in. She still carried a stiffness that was normally missing, but she wasn't slumped over and brooding any longer. Sakura moved forward and bumped Ino's left shoulder with her right.

"I promise I'll be there InoPig. I wouldn't miss it for anything."

The two friends smiled and stood in communal silence as they watched the sun rise above the trees, the other two ladies oblivious to the drama they had missed.

-/b/-

Sasuke stared at the building in front of him. All that was left was a shell that hadn't collapsed yet. It had once been a home, filled with warmth and joy. Inside harbored all his memories, snippets spent with his family, fragments that reminded him of the happiness found with family. Now, the building had been vacant for many long years, years that had allowed nature to reclaim the landscape and begin the natural demolition of all the man made structures. Eventually the entire complex would be reduced to rubble with no visible signs of the hundreds of inhabitants that had once called it home.

Before Sasuke had known the truth about Itachi, this building had embodied all of his sorrow and rage and reminded him of his vow of vengeance. After Itachi's reality had been revealed, this had all come to represent the sins of the Uchiha, and the Village as a whole. It fueled his need to avenge his brother and clear his name. Now, this crumbling building and all the surrounding structures were taking on a new meaning in Sasuke's life. The decaying remnants of the Uchiha clan were his legacy, the legacy he would pass down to any children he had.

When he had been seeking revenge for Itachi, he'd never allowed himself to envision the future. The one time he had done so, it was to become Hokage and take control of things. Thankfully, the Dobe had beat some sense into his head and helped him to abandon that line of thought. Now, he was allowing himself to tentatively think about his future and where he wanted it to go. Sakura was a huge part of that equation. They would be traveling together and alone. His entire life had taken on a new journey the moment she had offered to join him on his travels and he had accepted. His every intention had been to travel alone, silently and solitarily atoning for his sins. Instead, he would be one half of a team traveling and atoning. Sakura was probably going to be exposed to some of the horrible things he had done while he had been allowing himself to be ruled by hatred. She would probably be disappointed by what he had allowed himself to become, but Sasuke knew she wouldn't hold it against him. She had stuck by his side through absolutely everything and her support of him had wavered but remained strong. She wouldn't have offered to travel with him if she wasn't absolutely sure of him.

Sasuke had rarely felt this sense of peace in his life. Definitely not since the massacre of his clan and the death of Itachi. Sakura had done this. Naruto and Kakashi too. Team 7 had never given up on him, no matter how deranged or loathsome his behavior. They had always banded together and supported him, and he would spend the rest of his life repaying them for their loyalty and support. He wouldn't be here and able to repent for his sins without them. He had no intention of squandering this chance he had been given, the chance to be something his family would have been proud of.

Once more, Sasuke looked up at the building in front of him. He was determined to carry these memories forward with him. He would not allow the mistakes of the past to prevent the redemption of the future. He would help keep the Uchiha legacy alive and share the traditions of old, but they would never again reside here in the Uchiha district. This land would forever sit as a stoic graveyard for the lost souls of his Uchiha brethren. There was too much blood in the ground here to ever happily rebuild in this place.

Sasuke closed his mismatched eyes and breathed deeply. He reached his hand out and laid it flat on the doorframe. He would always carry them with him, always strive to live a life they would be proud of...with Sakura. With Team 7. With Konoha.

"Wish me luck. I'll carry your souls with me always."

With those parting words, Sasuke turned and strode away with purpose, his cape billowing out behind him on a sudden gust of wind. If he had turned around and activated the Rinnegan, he may have seen the hundreds of Uchiha spirits that all lined the streets watching him leave. His mother, father, and brother at the forefront...smiles on their faces. They all watched him until he was gone and then they faded as though they had never even been. There was still hope for the future of the Uchiha clan.


	10. Prank plans and unexpected decisions

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters within. Just a fan with an excess of imagination and a penchant for writing thoughts down.

Sorry this took longer to get up than I had planned. I got a job! I'm finally a productive member of society again! :D yay! It's been a rough go, as I'm a science teacher and I jumped into this job 2 months into the school year, but it is so rewarding! I'm hoping to get the next chapter up within the next week or so, but don't quote me on that. Life is hard and sometimes we don't get to do things we want to. Anyways, ENJOY!

Review responses:

KuroAkari: I'm glad that you love the story! I've always been a huge fan of Naruto, and I felt like Sasuke and Sakura got the short end of the stick with their "happily ever after", so I'm determined to give them a better outcome! I'll endeavor to keep them in character as best as I can, although Sasuke may have a bit more softness and warmth than some people associate with him. (I think he's a bigger softy than he wants us to know)

Eelaiiii: you are welcome! I'm not letting the carpal tunnel keep me down!

Guest: Aeee! Haha i'm glad you are excited to see more!

-/b/-

Naruto was absolutely exhausted. Kakashi-sensei was a bastard. A rat bastard. A perverted rat bastard...that needed to get pranked. HARD. The prank had to be perfect. No simple erasers-on-top-of-a-cracked-door level prank would do. It would have to be elaborate...devious even. That asshole had forced hours of pervert lecture time on him, and he was afraid some of it had sunk into his brain. He had tuned out as much as he could, but some of the things Kakashi had described had kept Naruto awake last night. Some of those perverted ideas didn't seem so bad when his brain added the love of his life into the mix. Hinata had already agreed to move in with him. He had a ring sitting in its box and every intention of asking her eventually. Logically speaking, this meant that at some point in his future, he and Hinata would get married...and married people had sex. SEX. Sex with HINATA.

Naruto quickly veered his line of thought away from dangerous territory. Those thoughts had led to a nose bleed, followed by a sleepless night. Hinata was so pure...so perfect. How could he even think about dirtying her with his horny thoughts? How could he not? The woman was gorgeous, loving, courageous, and madly in love with him since childhood. It had taken a lot longer for him to catch on to it, and then return her feelings. He wasn't exactly the most observant guy, even though she had been painfully obvious in her actions. Once he finally realized what all her blushes and stuttering had been about, and what the fuzzy fluttering in the pit of his stomach was...it had still taken her jumping into his battle with Pein before he really started connecting the dots. After the end of the war, the two of them had talked long and intensely about their mutual feelings and what to do. Dating was the logical first step, and it was going amazingly. Naruto knew this was the woman he wanted to spend his life with. Hinata was his other half. The second step was to move in with each other. This step was huge, and led to thoughts of what the next couple steps entailed. Moving in, marriage, sex, family. All the things Naruto had never thought he would have in his future.

As a child, he had spent many a long night wondering if he would always be alone. Fighting for every single thing in his life. Kids had never occurred to him, had never appeared in any of his imaginings of what being Hokage would be for him. He had never doubted that he would become Hokage when he became an adult. He had just always seen himself alone in that position. Now things were completely different. Hinata slid right in and fit him perfectly. He could have the same loving connection that his parents had shared before his birth. Thoughts of his parents always brought a moment of melancholy. There were so many things he had missed out on by not having them in his life. Yet, not many people were able to say that they had the chance to converse and meet their dead parents. So at least he knew that they were proud of him and that they loved him more than anything. A smile bloomed across his face as he stretched out on the top of his dad's statue head. His life was really moving in the right direction, even with Kakashi trying to rupture his brain with pervert crap. Now...what kind of prank could he come up with to pay Kakashi back appropriately…something that would be a great send off for Sasuke and Sakura. Yeah, it needed to be EPIC.

-/b/-

Sakura cleaning dishes from last night when a knock on the door startled her from her thoughts. The girls had left after straightening up a bit, and Sakura had been thinking about how they had helped her pack all her things. The mental list she had of all she needed had nearly every item scratched off. She set the glass and the drying towel down before moving toward the door. Looking through the peephole revealed the stoic figure of Sasuke. Sakura quickly opened the door with a smile on her face.

"Sasuke! I wasn't expecting you, but come in."

Sasuke softed at the smile that lit Sakura's face. She never failed to lift his spirits without even meaning to. He had not intended on coming to her apartment, but as he walked aimlessly through the village he found his feet bringing him to her door. They weren't leaving for another day or so, but he had apparently needed to be in her presence. There was this calming feeling that descended upon him when he was in her presence. There was no concrete explanation for why, only a vague feeling that he was probably being enveloped in her love and caring for him. It was quite possibly the best feeling Sasuke had ever had. The woman in front of him had so many hidden talents that even she was unaware of. A true treasure for his tortured soul. He had already paid respects to his family and clan, and he was ready to leave, but he had given Sakura another day to get her life in order before they departed. He looked over and noticed her finishing some dishes.

"Would you like some help with those?"

Sakura started a bit. He had never volunteered to help with dishes like this before.

"Sure, would you like to clean or dry?"

"Dry, if that's alright with you?"

"Of course!"

Sakura hummed contentedly as she cleaned the dishes in her sink and handed them one by one to Sasuke for drying. This felt so incredibly domestic to being doing, together. It felt like a small, but significant, step forward in whatever it was between them. Sakura was so incredibly happy to think that in a short amount of time, this man would set out on a journey of healing. A journey to fix the wrongs he had committed over the last few years. She was sure that she was going to learn things about Sasuke that no one else knew. Many of them were probably not stellar moments in his life, but he felt safe with her having knowledge of them. That spoke to her of a deeply seated connection between them, maybe deeper than she had thought. Her entire childhood had been spent thinking about a future spent with this man, of sharing a home and a family, of working together and spending the years growing old and making memories. Most of her childhood imaginings didn't hold up under the weight of reality. Sasuke was a flawed man with many skeletons in his past. He had done things that would make many others turn away from him in fear and loathing. Yet, he was still a bit of the man she had always imagined he would be. He valued his friends, had plans for the future, and those plans included her. He had gentled since the war, having come to realizations about his own behavior and the flaws in his plans. This was an entirely new venture for both of them...and it felt right. Suddenly, Sakura just wanted to leave. She didn't want to stay here another night. The desire to get started on their future was so strong she wasn't sure she could contain herself.

"Uhhh...Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned toward her with a question in his eyes.

"Do we have to wait another day?"

Sasuke's eyes widened a bit, and he seemed surprised by her question. He was silent for several long moments...almost too long.

"I mean, Tsunade is taking care of the hospital and my parents are going to pack all of the things I'm leaving behind, so I don't have to worry about those things. The girls helped me pack my belongings I am taking with me this morning, and I don't really have anything left to do...an-"

Sasuke's fingers pressed gently against her lips, effectively silencing her. His gaze spoke of amusement, and there was a small quirk at the corner of his lips.

"I was ready to leave yesterday, until someone important reminded me that I was about to leave something irreplaceable behind. If you are sure you want to leave, then we may do so."

Sakura felt like she would melt onto the floor. He had called her irreplaceable. That sounded so special. He could have worded that any number of ways, and yet he had chosen the word 'irreplaceable'. A sigh of happiness was impossible to contain, and she was sure that if he could blush, he would be. His hand came up and scratched the back of his neck as he shifted from side to side a bit.

"I'm sure. I am ready to start this journey with you Sasuke. I am ready to travel by your side, wherever we go."

"Then grab your things, and we can head over to the Dobe's apartment to pick up mine."

"We can also say a final bye to Naruto and Kakashi-sensei to let them know we are heading out. If we don't, we will never hear the end of it from Naruto."

"We can't have that."

Sakura laughed with pure joy. This was not at all where she expected to be only 2 days ago. Her life had taken a crazy turn or two in such a short time, but she was really looking forward to seeing what was ahead. She ran back to her room and grabbed her pack and everything she would need for their travels. As she walked back to the living room, she caught Sasuke staring at a picture of Team 7 that she had on the wall by the door. They had been so young back then, naive to the trials and tribulations that life would throw their way.

"I'm ready!"

Sasuke turned and cracked a small smile.

"Let's hope the Dobe is home. I'm not going to go searching for him. If he isn't there, that's his own fault."

"Sasuke! He might just hunt us down if we don't say goodbye!"

"He'll be too busy getting Hinata moved into his place. He won't have time to worry about us."

Sasuke and Sakura left her apartment, locking the door behind them. As they walked side by side towards Naruto's apartment, Sakura could feel the folds of Sasuke's cloak brushing her arm. She was lost in thought until she felt the warmth of a hand enclose hers. Surprise had her whipping her head sideways to stare at Sasuke. He turned slightly to make eye contact, his gaze warm and happy, before he turned back to face forward. Sakura felt a blush break out on her face as she continued walking. Yeah, she could get used to this, but it might take a bit.


	11. Inner feelings and finally leaving

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters within. Just a fan with an excess of imagination and a penchant for writing thoughts down.

Reviewer response:

Lizzy-May93: thank you for loving it! I'm super excited too about where these two are going!

TwinkleTwinkleI'mAStar: Thank you for always leaving me a review! I really appreciate you coming back and continuing to read my story! :D

On with the story:

Naruto's apartment was empty when they arrived, and it only took Sasuke a minute to disappear inside and return with his belongings. Sakura almost felt bad about leaving without saying goodbye to Naruto, but it wasn't like they were disappearing without any notice. Everyone important in their lives knew they were leaving, even if they were supposed to have another day or so. Sakura was surprised by how she felt at this final hour. She had been expecting to feel apprehensive, anxious, sad, and nervous...yet, now that the time had come to leave, she felt an overwhelming sense of adventure and happiness. All of the anxiousness and sadness about leaving was still there, it was just overshadowed by all the wonderful feelings in her heart from the positive changes happening in her life. If anyone had told her 6 months ago that she would be leaving on a journey with the love of her life, and that it would appear he shared her feelings...she would have smashed them into the ground and never believed a word of it. A smile bloomed across her face as she waited for Sasuke's return.

It almost made sense that Naruto wasn't here. This was a journey that only she and Sasuke would undertake, and it seemed right that they would begin it as just the two of them. Naruto was probably with Kakashi in the Hokage's office, or off with Hinata getting ready for her move into his place. He was busy preparing to take the Hokage hat from Kakashi as quickly as he could, and planning his future with the woman he loves. If Naruto could move forward with his life and reach for his dreams with the gusto he did so with, then damn it, so could Sasuke and Sakura!

Sasuke mentally sighed in relief when he entered Naruto's apartment and found it empty. Naruto was his best friend and he appreciated everything the Dobe had done for him over the years...but, he was best enjoyed in small doses. His energy was enormous and it was hard to keep up with him when he got excited about things, and he got excited about EVERYTHING. He knew that Naruto would be pissed off that they left without telling him they were leaving early, but Sasuke was sure he would settle for an angry letter delivered by toad. Kakashi would keep him too busy to leave the village in pursuit of them.

Sakura had surprised him with her question about leaving early. She had true ties here in the village, between her parents, Tsunade, Naruto, Kakashi, the hospital and more. She was a focal point of support within Konoha, and he had assumed that she would struggle with cutting those ties. Sasuke had nothing outside of Team 7 to keep him here. His clan was gone, and he had no one waiting for him when he returned. Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura...they were his entire reason for being here. Now, he was about to leave and take Sakura with him.

He was about to share with her all of the places he had gone, people he had encountered, and all of the moments where he had been given the chance to make good choices...and sometimes he had failed. There were places he done horrible things to people who had gotten in his way. These were people and places who had seemed like obstacles in his path to revenge, and then vengeance. There were a lot of skeletons in his past that were about to be revealed to the only woman Sasuke had ever envisioned a future with. He knew Sakura would support him no matter what. There was no way she would be waiting outside Naruto's apartment for him if she didn't have to fortitude to stand with him. She would have been long gone if her devotion was shallow and unworthy. Sakura had proved over and over again that she was a forgiving and dedicated individual. The problem for him was her disappointment. His actions over the last few years were sure to earn him her disappointment, shattering some of the illusions she may have had of him as a young girl. He finally cared and was willing to pay attention to her feelings for him.

A bright future was on the horizon for them, and Sasuke didn't want to lose any of her regard. She was waiting with a smile on her face as he exited the apartment. This beautiful woman was his for the taking if he had the courage to reach for what she offered. He knew he didn't deserve her, but honestly, what man deserved any woman who loved him? She was stuck with him now. He may have reservations about sharing the dark spots in his past with her, but he had no reservations about sharing his future with her. This woman was his. Her strength, both physical and mental, and her strength of character were a perfect compliment to his. Her willingness to join him in his atonement proved that she is his compliment. How he was lucky enough to be gifted such a boon in life was unknown to him.

"Ready to leave?"

Sakura shook herself from her thoughts and focused on Sasuke. His face seemed impassive at first glance, but his eyes held warmth and he seemed amused. She felt a little blush dust her cheeks.

"Yes! I'm ready to head out. Did you leave a note for Naruto? I don't want him hunting us down because we didn't say a final goodbye."

"Hnnn."

Sakura took that as an affirmative. She stepped to the side to allow Sasuke to exit that apartment. He turned to lock the door and then pushed forward with her by his side. She expected him to head in the direction of the gates, so it was surprising when he set out in a different direction. It took a few moments for her to realize he was headed toward the old Uchiha district. Why would he be heading that way? Did he need to say a final goodbye to the memory of his family? She silently followed his lead, trusting that he would reveal why they were heading this way when he was ready.

Sasuke led her through the empty streets of the Uchiha compound until they stood somewhere near the center. He stopped and turned towards her, silently watching as she come up and stood beside him. His arm reached out and he took her hand in his.

"Do you trust me?"

"You know I do."

Sasuke quirked one corner of his mouth up, and something seemed to settle within her. Whatever was about to happen, Sasuke would never harm her. She squeezed his hand in reassurance and felt him return the squeeze. A moment later, the rinnegan activated and the two of them disappeared.

-/b/-

Naruto was pissed as fuck. He had been minding his own business, coming up with ways to make Kakashi pay for his pervert lecture, when he had felt the pulse. The instant rise of chakra had been unmistakable, and Naruto had immediately known it was Sasuke. At first he had been furious because he had thought Sasuke left without Sakura. The hair had risen on his neck, and he had raced to Sakura's apartment. His assumption that she would be there was proven wrong when he found it locked tight, with the lights off. He felt no sense of her in the apartment, and had quickly moved to his own apartment to see if Sasuke had left him any indication why he would leave early.

At this point, his anger had skyrocketed when he found Sasuke's note.

' _Dobe,_

 _By the time you read this, we will be gone._

 _I'm sure you are enjoying all the new information Kakashi_

 _shared with you last night. We realized there was a gaping_

 _hole in you knowledge about women, and felt you would_

 _benefit from a little extra knowledge shared by a professional._

 _Don't even think about following us or I will destroy you._

 _Try not to fuck things up with Hinata. She deserves better than_

 _you, but seems to be ignorant to the fact. You have a good thing_

 _going. Good luck with Kakashi's hokage training. I'm actually glad_

 _you talked me out of being hokage._

 _We will return...eventually. Invite us to the wedding.'_

The Teme was a dead man. An asshole dead man. A stupid fucking annoying as hell asshole dead man. Now he had even more pranks to plan. Kakashi needed pranked, and clearly Sasuke was due to be taken down a few hundred pegs. Pranks were his lifeblood. He had a legacy to live up to. Kushina had been a legendary prankster, and her son could do no less than live up to her example. Kakashi first, Sasuke next.

It took a while, but Naruto calmed down enough to realize that Sasuke had written ' _we will be gone_ '...WE. He had taken Sakura with him. They had left without saying goodbye. Well, they had said they were leaving, and he had known that it would mean goodbyes and separation, but he figured they would say goodbye. Part of him was hurt that they hadn't come to find him. They were his family. Why didn't they come say goodbye? Another part of him understood a bit. This was their journey, their beginning to whatever would be shared between them. He's known they were perfect for each other since childhood. Even while he had been professing his own affection for their pink haired teammate, he had known he didn't stand a chance. He'd half heartedly continued to do it just to piss off Sasuke. They had clearly decided not to wait until tomorrow before they left, and Naruto had no idea where Sasuke had planned to travel to first. He'd have to send a message via frog if he wanted to contact them. Naruto decided to wait before sending a message. He needed to think about what kind of prank he was going to pull on them. Yes them. Sakura was going to get pranked too. She would never let Sasuke take her against her will, so clearly she was okay with leaving without seeing him too. Those jerks! He'd show them. Naruto smiled like a cat with the cream. They'd never know what hit them before it was too late. Naruto was so excited that he felt Kurama stir with unease. If his glee was unsettling to the fox, then it must be at a fever pitch. Yessssss...this was going to grand.

-/b/-

Kakashi felt a shiver travel down his spine. He'd felt the surge of chakra that indicated Sasuke's departure. A had hawk swooped into his room and dropped off a scroll. Sasuke's brief note had let him know that he and Sakura were leaving early and would keep Kakashi appraised of their location and wellbeing. Classic Sasuke. Short, curt, containing pertinent information only. Kakashi imagined this was a bit like what it felt to be a parent watching your child grow up. His students, the only students he had ever taken on, were young and impressionable when they had been given into his care. Two had been orphans. 2 had been painfully naive. 1 had been a fangirl of epic proportions. 1 had been an emo mess of emotional constipation. 2 had been underestimated while the third had been held to an impossible standard. Each of them had come to Team 7 with their own problems and insecurities. ALL of them had exceeded his expectations and proven to both him and Konoha that you can never judge a book by it's cover.

Pride swelled in his heart. These 3 were like his own kids, and he felt extremely proud to have been a part of their development into the heroes of the village they had become. Obito and Rin would have been proud of them. Kushina and Minato would have been ecstatic about their journey. Naruto would succeed him as Hokage, achieving his dream, and living up to the memory of his father. Sakura would succeed Tsunade and her legacy as both a medic and a Sannin. Sasuke. Sasuke had been his own disciple for a short period of time, and had gone on to achieve his revenge against Itachi, and then vengeance in Itachi's name. Kakashi had not known Sasuke's parents very well when they had lived. He hadn't been concerned much with the Uchiha clan because of his disdain for Obito as a child, but he imagined that they would be proud of both of their sons. Hell, even Kakashi's father would be proud of him. He had a better understanding of his dad than he ever had as a child. The heartbreak when your child copes with their own mistakes. The joy when your child achieves their goals. The frustration when you cannot help your child as they struggle with their own demons. His dad was probably laughing his ass off at him from the grave.

Kakashi reclined lazily at his desk, and allowed himself a moment to revel in his happiness for his students. He knew any minute now Shikamaru would be bringing him more work, but for a moment it was peaceful. Peaceful meant…

Shikamaru sighed in annoyance and frustration. He knew by this point that he shouldn't be surprised to enter the Hokage's office and find Kakashi's face shoved into an Icha Icha book. The mega pervert continued to read, even as he must have known Shikamaru was there with more things that needed his attention. Too troublesome. Shikamaru didn't have the energy or the desire to deal with this. He knew Kakashi would make sure he did the paperwork, he always did. Kakashi was an efficient and annoying leader, but he made sure he got his work done. Shikamaru just didn't know how he did it and still had time to read that pervert trash. That was a mystery he didn't need solved. As long as Kakashi kept working, he didn't need to know.

Kakashi just continued to look at his book. He knew Shikamaru would set the paperwork on the desk and leave. The Nara clan was supreme at acting as a right hand, no matter how much grumbling they did about troublesome situations and people. Maybe he should have a private talk with him about his relationship with Temari. Kakashi was sure he could get the Nara to blush. He lived for messing with people. It was the only benefit of this job, and he would make sure he got his use out of it before he handed the hat off to Naruto.

"So Shikamaru...how go things with your lovely blond friend from Sand?"

Shikamaru looked up in alarm before a small blush broke out across his cheeks. He sputtered through a brief response before he practically ran from the room. He'd never seen the Nara move that fast. Being Hokage was shit...but it had its moments.

(Little did Kakashi know what his future held. He wouldn't have been so carefree if he had known what our favorite blond knucklehead was planning…)


	12. Inner Demons

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters within. I am but a fan with an excess of imagination and a penchant for writing my thoughts down…then sharing them online. :D

Bear with me all, I am going to be starting grad school this fall…so shit is going to get real and updates may be few and far between for a while. Just giving everyone a heads up, but hopefully I can get some chapters up before that starts!

Reviewer response:

Animegirly13: Thank you! I promise to continue writing this story until the end! Hopefully I'll get several updates up before the next school year starts next month!

Lizzy-May93: You are welcome! Thank you for your continued support! :)

On with the story!

Shikamaru couldn't believe that Kakashi has asked about HER. How did that asshole know about them? Not even Shikamaru's mother or Temari's brothers knew about them. Of course, Shikamaru knew he hadn't helped his cause by losing his cool in the office after Kakashi had thrown out that verbal bomb. UGH! He'd never be able to play it off as anything else but him losing his composure over just the mention of the blonde wind user. Knowing Kakashi as he did, that fool would just keep slipping little innuendos into conversation every chance he got. It was like his own little super power. Maybe he'd send and ANBU in with the next stack of paperwork for him to work on. Shikamaru had reached the outside by this point, and looked up to see quite the scene in front of him. Naruto was perched in a tree, across from Hokage Tower, staring up at the closed window that opened into Kakashi's office. The crazy look on his face had Shikamaru moving in the opposite direction. That face didn't usually bode well for anyone in Naruto's path. Shikamaru had seen that face a few times over the years, and it usually showed right before Naruto let go with some epic prank. The fact that he was staring at the window leading into the room with Kakashi was not lost on Shikamaru, and he found himself oddly interested in what Naruto was planning. Whatever it was, it probably involved Kakashi, and after what had just gone down in his office with him…Kakashi deserved what was probably coming to him.

If it weren't so troublesome, Shikamaru might have whistled as he walked down the street…heading to no where in particular.

-/b/-

Hinata was perplexed. She and Naruto had been dating for a while now, and everything was going wonderfully! They found their compliment in each other. Where Naruto was impulsive and brash, Hinata was cautious and resolute. Naruto was quick to anger and easily excitable…Hinata was a deep spring of patience and peace. Naruto brought out Hinata's playful side and helped her to relax her anxieties, and Hinata was a balm to Naruto's bruised and battered soul, his rock of comfort from the storm of his past. They were perfect for each other, no doubt about it. Hiashi Hyuuga had gone out of his way to show his support for their relationship. Not only had he announced their courtship in front of the ENTIRE clan, but he had also repeated invited Naruto to events that were generally Hyuuga-only attendance events. There had been some among the clan that had been disappointed and angry by her choice of paramour, and a few had even been vocal about their disapproval in public. It hadn't lasted long, as Hiashi had stepped in and set those individuals straight on what would be allowed, and by whom. For the most part, the Hyuuga clan was proud and excited to count the son of the Yondaime and the future Nanadaime into their ranks, and Hiashi's clear approval had played a part in that excitement.

Which brought us to now…Hiashi didn't seem to accepting and excited now. He had just finished a 15min tirade about how Naruto's apartment was unacceptable. It was too small; too far away from everything; too dingy; too dangerous; too dirty; too blah blah blah. For some reason, he seemed to have gotten it into his head that Hinata would just be moving right into Naruto's place and that would be it. Hinata was sure that she had spoken to him about her and Naruto's search for a new place that was more to their taste and larger to accommodate 2 people…but now Hinata wondered if she had made that conversation up in her mind. Even though Hiashi had seemed supportive, maybe it had all been a ruse.

While Hinata was lost in thought, Hiashi stormed out of the room in a huff, not really looking at anyone or anything. Hanabi had been quiet for the entire tirade, having come in shortly before their father began, and just silently watching the situation unfold between father and daughter. It was clear to her that Hinata had no idea why their father was upset and lashing out, and their father had no idea that Hinata was reading this all wrong. Hanabi had been a silent observer for a long time. She knew that their father's seeming disappointment in Hinata in the past had stemmed from his anxiety over her safety. He saw Hinata as weak and unable to take care of herself, and so had not been sure of her safety as she pursued a future as a kunoichi. The fact that Hinata was the spitting image of their mother had not helped matters AT ALL. Hiashi had not dealt with his anxiety well, and instead had taken the "tough love" approach and ran with it. He had really over done it with his trying to motivate Hinata with the whole "disowning you" crap. That approach would have worked with someone like Hanabi or Neji-nii-san, but it was definitely not the way to handle Hinata. As a child, she had lacked the self-esteem and confidence to believe in herself and her place in the clan. Hiashi's tactics had only fed into her insecurities, making the divide between father and daughter more pronounced.

Hinata, on the other hand, had taken everything their father and Neji-nii-san had said to heart. Their years of harsh treatment had formed the woman she was today, and she was unable to see that their father's treatment had come from a place of fear and not a place of hatred. She had no idea what was Hiashi's problem right now because she had never known where his anger came from. Cue Hanabi to step in and help sort this shit out.

"He's not mad at you, Nee-chan."

Hinata's face swung up, eyes connecting with those of her sister. When had Hanabi arrived? Had she been privy to the scene their father had just left behind?

"I'm sorry, what?" Hanabi sighed upon hearing that.

"He's NOT mad at you. He's just anxious about all of this. He's happy for you and Naruto-san, but he is worried and not handling this well. You should follow him and talk with him."

Hinata felt like Hanabi was speaking foreign language. Anxious? Worried? HIASHI Hyuuga? Those words just kept swirling through her head and not really connecting.

"Father? Anxious and worried? What are you talking about?" Her eyes were wide and clouded with confusion.

"Yes, father. Anxious and worried. He's not good at showing it. I believe it is the whole emotional constipation that comes with being a clan head. None of them seem to be able to show their emotions well, except maybe Tsume-san. Father is no different. He's upset and he doesn't know quite how to express it. You should confront him and try to draw it out of him. He'll never get it out on his own. He's old and set in his ways, but he does love you."

Hinata wouldn't have been any more surprised if someone had smashed her face with a brick at that moment. THEIR FATHER…clan head, byakugan user extraordinaire, emotionally deficient Hiashi Hyuuga…was anxious about HER? This was something Hinata had never imagined she would be dealing with.

"Are you sure? He seemed awfully angry, and I'm unsure if he knows about the details of our apartment search…I thought I had spoken with him about it, but he did not seem to remember any of the things I told him."

"I'm sure. He probably didn't even hear a word of what you said when you were telling him about apartment searching. His beloved oldest daughter, the image of her mother, is in love and moving away from home. His brain is probably tying itself into so many knots that he can't tell up from down right now. Father's stoicism is legendary, and I don't believe his has the ability to drop it without some help. I think you should definitely speak with him about it, and push him hard. When he's flustered enough, maybe he will be able to speak his mind and tell you how he actually feels."

Hinata was dumbfounded to hear her sister speak of their father as if he was someone completely different than the father she was used to experiencing. Hanabi would never lie to her about this, so she must be speaking the truth…but Hinata could not reconcile this new image with the one she had grown up with. It almost sounded like Hiashi had a split personality, and Hinata had experienced one side while Hanabi had seen the other side.

"If you are sure…I guess I will go and find him."

Hinata left the room in the same direction their father had taken, the look of bafflement never leaving her face. Hanabi was hopeful that they would figure this out between the two of them if they actually talked about it. She knew that their father was actually very happy for Hinata, that she had found her happiness in the boy that she had loved for most of her life. It was about time all the misunderstandings between them were put to rest and the family was able to move forward. A smile split her face; she had every intention of taking advantage of the prestige of her future brother-in-law. He and Hinata would owe her for helping them get through to Father, and she would collect with interest.

-/b/-

One minute they were in Konoha, and the next they were somewhere in a forest. Sakura felt a little off kilter having it all happen so quickly. Sasuke had asked her if she trusted him, and she did, but that had been unexpected. She took a moment to survey their surroundings. They were in the middle of a small meadow, surrounded by large trees on all sides. The meadow was very secluded and had an almost peaceful feel to it. To the left stood Sasuke, looking unruffled as always. His eyes were trained on her and he seemed to be waiting for her to say or do something. There was a tenseness to his body, one that most others wouldn't have noticed. Most others weren't her, and she had spent nearly her entire childhood staring at this man and watching every move he made. She waited a moment to make sure he wasn't going to speak, and then decided to take the lead.

"Well, that was not what I expected."

That seemed to break the ice, and Sasuke's lips twitched up a bit at the corners before he shifted towards her.

"What were you expecting?"

"I don't know. I guess I was expected something more like a shunshin or the flying thunder god technique. What did you do? Was it more of a Kamui-like technique?"

"Sort of. I used the rinnegan to distort space and transport us outside of Konoha."

"Wow! I guess I should have known you could do something like this, but it just never really occurred to me. Now that we are here, where are we going?"

Sasuke looked around before answering.

"I didn't transport us too far out of Konoha, but just far enough that Naruto wouldn't come running as soon as he noticed we were gone. There are many small villages in this forest, and I've been through quite a few of them."

At this point, Sasuke went still. He breathed in deeply and seemed to steel himself for what he was going to say next.

"I've been through many of them, and I have not…did not…act with integrity or compassion."

He turned away from her as he continued to speak, apparently unable to continue unless he spoke to the forest.

"The person I was when I followed after Itachi, first to kill him and then to avenge him, was not a person I am proud to say I was. I used people for information, destroyed building and fields when necessary, and I killed people that got in my way. The Sasuke that did those things is not who I am now, but I must go back and face the past. I have to face myself and those I have hurt. I won't ask for forgiveness, but I must do something to try and atone for the wrongs I have done. I know that you are committed to joining me on this journey, and I welcome your presence, but I wish you didn't have to see and know the terrible things I have done."

Sakura knew that the Sasuke of the past was a ruthless and vengeful person. He has driven his fist straight through Naruto and had put her in a genjutsu to keep her from stopping their fight, not to mention the couple of times he had almost seriously hurt her and Naruto while they tried to bring him back to the Hidden Leaf, as well as how he had indirectly killed Itachi and Danzo. This man in front of her was dangerous, and she had no illusions about him or his past. He had made a lot of fucked up choices over the last couple of years. These were just the instances that she already knew about. Her Sasuke was a fallen angel seeking redemption.

She also knew that Sasuke had a big heart…he just didn't have the optimism that Naruto seemed to naturally possess. Sasuke felt deeply and she had her evidence right in front of her. Here was her man, conflicted over the choices of his past, not relishing in the destruction. He felt sorrow over what he had done, and felt no pride in his actions.

"You do not scare me, Sasuke. You do not fool me either. I've known you most of our lives, and I've seen you in all aspects. You have done terrible things, but you have also done good things. I won't let you fall to your own self-contempt. I will help you redeem yourself, not because you can't do it alone, but because I care about you, and I care about your future…our future."

A blush stole across her face as she reached the last part of her statement, and Sasuke turned his head to catch it. His eyes were intense in their assessment, but not unkind. There was a warmth there that she had rarely seen in the past, but seemed to be a more common occurrence lately.

"Our future…I like that. Come, it is time to begin. There are many places to go and much work to be done."

He turned and indicated the direction they would travel, but waited until Sakura was next to him before he began to move. Sakura was content to move in silence as they swiftly left the meadow and began their journey. They had been traveling for a few minutes before Sakura felt the first touch. She looked down and realized that Sasuke's hand was brushing up against hers. Once…twice…and on the third touch his hand closed over hers gently. Her startled gaze met his and he smiled genuinely.

"Thank you, Sakura."

They fell into a companionable silence as their pace slowed and matched each other, ensuring their clasped hands could continue their gentle hold. Sakura didn't know exactly where they were going first, but at this exact point of time, she didn't give a shit. She would follow this wounded man into hell if he asked it and she would do it with a smile.


End file.
